And Now I'm Stuck Here With You
by HimekoUchia
Summary: What happens when the Sand Sibs get shipwrecked onto a deserted island during a mission? Especially since Gaara is still a murderous psychopath. Temari and Kankuro are the only ones stuck with him. The worst part... It was no accident. Sand Sibs
1. My Brother's Bravery

**So, this is my second fanfic. I hope you like it! When working on this story, I found out that the italics and bold writing messes up everything during the edit. Oh, joy.  
I do not own the Sand Sibs. How sad... But, neither do you. Unless you are Naruto's mangaka. But he is a busy man. An awesome man.  
I only own my deserted island. Then again, I don't own it.**

…...

**"Shukaku's thoughts"**

No matter how uneasy he felt, Gaara would never show it. Everybody on the boat kept a safe distance from him, fearing that he would kill them mercilessly. The jinchuriki sat alone in a corner of the deck.

It was a two day journey from Suna to the sea shore and seven hours since the boat left the pier. Seven hours since a terrible feeling had invaded Gaara. He was on a boat. In the middle of the ocean. And he hated water. That was understandable, since his main attacks -and defenses- involved sand and all. He knew that no one on this boat would dare lay a finger on him. They were all from his village, so they understood that the quickest way of dying was to mess with him. But still, knowing that he was vulnerable... It was the worst of feelings. He hated it.

The only reason that he was here in the first place was because of the Kazekage. The man that Gaara was disgusted to admit was his father. The Kazekage had assigned him, Temari and Kankuro to a mission. A B ranked mission to transport important documents and stuff to the Land of Water. Water this, water that. Gaara felt slightly sick thinking about it.  
But, he couldn't refuse the mission. It was only B ranked. And both his teammates -he refused to think of them as his siblings- had accepted it, so there was no way he was going to be the one backing out, showing weakness.

Gaara mentally groaned. The boat had swayed violently to the left, making him hold on to the handrail with extreme force. Having Shukaku locked up inside of him stopped him from getting a cold, the flu, food poisoning and other things like that. But, apparently, sea sickness wasn't included in his list of immunities. Even without the whole boat swaying thing, the dark, cold ocean looked extremely unappealing to the young ninja. Yes, almighty Gaara of the Desert was actually sea sick. Not that he would let it show.

"Gaara? Do you want to eat anything?" Gaara nearly jumped out of his skin. But he didn't, because he was Gaara. Shukaku must have really felt terrible as well, because he hadn't warned the ninja about Kankuro standing right behind him.  
The older boy fixed the spot to the left of his brother's foot nervously. Gaara looked at him, suspicious. Why would he care? Maybe Temari and Kankuro were taking turns to check on him, to make sure that he wasn't killing anyone. Not that they could have stopped him if he was. Gaara settled for a calm, cold:  
"No. Get lost."  
Kankuro shrugged and walked away. When he thought that the jinchuriki wasn't looking any more, he quickened his pace to a run. But, Gaara did notice. He felt his chest tighten painfully and he felt his anger boiling. He wanted to hurt Kankuro, badly. But he was stuck holding onto the handrail, because the swaying was getting worst by the minute. Could this situation get any worse? That was when an announcement was made over a loud speaker.

_"We apologize for any inconvenience. But, we have unfortunately entered an area of high water __current. Waves are particularly high around this spot. Thank you for your cooperation. Please enjoy the rest of the week long trip to the Land of Water."_

**"****Oh, great. You had to ask?" **Came Shukaku's mental voice.

_"And we will unfortunately be caught up in a storm later this evening. So if all passengers may move into their cabins before it starts raining, safety on board will be maintained."_

**"Urg. Joy. Lucky us. You'd better get a move on, kid, before it rains. I hate water."**

Gaara completely agreed with the demon. Except the sarcastic parts. He didn't do sarcasm.

…

The sky was now pitch black. Gaara had been sitting in the cabin that he shared with his teammates for around two hours, glaring murderously at the rain. Temari and Kankuro hadn't come into the room yet. They were probably still eating dinner, somewhere. Or they might have been delaying the moment when they had to stay in a confined area alone with him. He really didn't care.  
The ninja sighed and leaned his head against the wall. He really felt terrible. He then stood up straighter. No way he was going to show weakness! Even if no one was here. Well, no one but Shukaku, who was now whining like a bitch.  
**  
"Urg. I wanna throw up. I feel sick. Can demons throw up? Is that even possible? I feel sick. I'm starting to get hungry. Feed me Gaara! Feed me! I feel sick..."**

The jinchuriki tuned him out. He was only annoying him. And that was really not helping the situation. Gaara stared at the wall until he heard footstep in the corridor, coming towards his cabin. He casually walked up to his bed, sat on it and glared out the window again. Who ever saw him now could have thought he had been in that position for two hours. Which was sort of true.

Temari and Kankuro entered the room. They slowed down when they saw their brother. Temari walked over to where Gaara was sitting, who still pretending to ignore them. She placed a something on his bedside table. He resisted the urge to turn around to see what it was.  
"Gaara? Are you OK?" asked the kunoichi. Gaara thought he heard something that sounded like genuine concern in her voice. He must have really been feeling sick. He turned around and glared as terrifyingly as he could.  
He heard both of his siblings gulp a little, but no gasping in fear. Gaara almost sighed out loud. It sucked being sea sick.  
"I'm fine." As he said this, his eyes fell on the object on his beside table. A tray filled with food. Kankuro noticed his scrutinizing.  
"Yeah, it's for you. You haven't eaten in nearly ten hours." Gaara kept staring at the tray, without saying anything. After a moment, the silence became awkward.  
"Um... We'll let you eat in peace. We have to help the captain with directions. Something happened to the ship's compass. And it's system. Terrible, especially since we will be stuck in a huge storm in about half an hour, or maybe less, judging by the sky." That was the longest speech Gaara had ever herd Temari say in front of him. He didn't detach his eyes from the food until he herd the door close behind his siblings, then he was alone again.

**"Hey! What about me? Do I count?"  
**

Gaara mentally snorted. So, not only was he alone, but he was stuck with Shukaku. Not that he cared.

**"Oh, sure you don't. I am disappointed in you Gaara... How can you think that your sister might actually care for you? She hates you! They all do! I'm starving! Feed me! I'm the only one here for you! No one else! Just you and..."**

Gaara quickly grabbed a pair of chopsticks and started eating. He was glad that is shut the annoying demon up. He knew that Shukaku was being a pain to take advantage of the fact that Gaara wasn't in the mood to resist. The ninja knew that stuffing yourself when you felt sick was a very bad idea, but if it made the demon keep quiet... He'd eat more.

When he had finished the rice balls and soup, he felt better. Mentally of course. Because physically, it didn't change much. Maybe he felt worse. At least he didn't have to listen to his teammates constant bickering. Not that they argued much in his presence anyway.

At that moment, the boat hit a particularly large wave. Gaara heard screams in the distance. Everything in the room floated off the floor for half a second before slamming back onto the ground with a thunk. Including the ninja, who landed on a pillow of sand.  
Now, Gaara felt pissed. So he was not only stuck in the middle of the sea, but in the middle of a storm. With huge waves. And nobody cared. Yes, Gaara was feeling very mad.  
**  
"Let it out. You know how to do it. Feed me blood! I want some! You know you do too! Make these worthless people pay..."**

Yes... Make them pay...  
It was almost childish, blaming others for his problems. But he was Sabaku no Gaara. That is what he did. Because he had many, many problems, and had his own unique way of sharing them.

In a few seconds, the jinchuriki's mind was invaded by Shukaku's blood lust. He wanted to kill. The fact that the boat was now rocking extremely violently didn't even register anymore.

He left the wrecked room behind. When he stepped out into the corridor, he heard someone gasp in fear. Victim found. He slowly turned his head around. What he saw surprised him more than a little, even in his state.  
The little girl, about seven years old, hadn't been afraid of _him_. She was cowering away from a large, imposing man, dressed completely in black and had a mask on his face.  
Who was he? Another assassin sent from his father? Why was he attacking a kid? Gaara didn't ask any of these questions out loud, and just crushed the man with his sand before he could react. The blood... it made Shukaku happy. He wanted more.  
The little girl was staring blankly at the bloody mess, which was all that was left of her attacker. Maybe... No. Not her. Not satisfying enough. Then a voice calling his name snapped him out of the blood lust.

"GAARA! There you are! What are... HOLY SHIT!" Kankuro froze when he saw the dead man. What was left of him anyway. He unconsciously started backing away. He looked at his brother, with eyes wide in fear. Then he saw the girl.  
"Huh? Who's she?" Of course, Gaara didn't answer. He just started walking away. The kid stopped staring at the dead guy and looked from Gaara to Kankuro.  
"I'm... I'm... He... saved me. This man... tried to... to kill me." she gestured shakily to the blood. Kankuro was extremely confused. Gaara saved a kid? What was this about?  
"Why was this man trying to kill you? Who is he?"  
"I... I don't know who he is. He wanted to kill me because... because..." Her small voice trailed off. Gaara started to get frustrated. This kid was weak. But he wanted to know.

"Why?" asked the jinchuriki.  
"I... I saw him do it. I saw him break it before the boat left the... the shore."  
"What?"  
"The boat's thing. It looked important. I saw him. He saw me. I thought he would try running... But then... He was going to get rid of me..."  
Kankuro stared horrified.  
"WHAT? Some guy sabotaged the boat's system? Why the hell would anybody do that?"

Before he could think up a possible answer, the boat tipped forward. Everyone slid down the floor and hit the wall at the bottom of the corridor.  
Screaming echoed through the boat. And water spilled through the open windows, flooding the entire boat up to knee length in one go.  
Gaara screamed in anger, and fear. He was soaking wet. His sand armor fell off of his body in chunks and his gourd melted in the water. He was now defenseless and weak. He tried to go through the doorway, so that he could get out of the cabins' floor before it was completely flooded.  
But, when he tried to get up, his realized that his foot was stuck. And that it hurt. A lot.

"So this is what pain feels like, thought Gaara, I hate it."

He tried standing up again. He couldn't. He was helpless.  
A hand grabbed his and yanked him through the door. Gaara was extremely shocked and confused. Who would saved _him_?... Kankuro.  
"COME ON! Temari is still on the deck! We have to find her!" The older boy helped his brother limp up the stairs, not giving a second thought to all the people still trapped on the floor below. He had to save his sister. He had to.

The second they emerged from the doorway, a fresh wave of water splashed onto them, nearly knocking both of the boys down the stairs. Kankuro pushed chakra into his legs and held on tight to Gaara. If everything wasn't so hysterical and panicked, he would have been surprised. Gaara had accepted his help. But then another wave washed over the deck of the boat.  
Making sure that he had a good hold of the ground, Kankuro began the trudge through the water, the rain and the wind, whilst carrying his little brother.  
"Kankuro... Put me down. I can walk." Gaara sent a chakra through his feet, ignoring his still hurting foot. He didn't understand anything. Kankuro saved him. He helped him. Why? And why was he helping his sister? Gaara didn't have time to think.

"TEMARI! She's there! Oh... No..." The red head snapped his head around and spotted his sister.

He didn't know how he should have felt when he saw her. Her body was covered in blood, which was leaking from the top of her head, her right shoulder and right leg. He saw why. When the wave had tipped the boat, Temari had crashed through the glass window of the captain's controller room. She was now hanging onto the handrail, fighting to stay conscious.

Gaara froze and stared at her through the rain. He didn't know what he should do. Should he help? No, he only fought for himself. He loved only himself. But... Should he just let her die?  
Again, he didn't have a chance to decide. Kankuro ran over to Temari and gently picked her up. When he had a good hold on her, he moved away from the side of boat.  
Gaara just stood there, looking at his brother save his sister, without having to ask for help. Not from him, or anyone. Of course, Gaara didn't feel proud of him or anything. He felt angry. What was Kankuro trying to prove? That Gaara was unneeded? Unnecessary?

That was when a huge wave completely tipped over the frail little boat.

Gaara felt himself panic when he fell into the cold, stormy water. The ability to swim was a basic need for a ninja, but for understandable reasons, Gaara never had much practice. He gasped for air, and swallowed a mouthful a water. Urg... When was Shukaku when you needed him? Not around.  
Maybe... He would die. And all his pain would be over. He would never have to deal with those memories, those looks, ever again.

When he tried to sink deeper into the water, he felt something hold him up. He shook about, but didn't come in contact with anything. He just floated. For what seemed like an eternity.  
Then he felt himself getting pulled through the waves. He was then lifted onto something hard and wooden. He dropped his head on to his side and the only thing he could see was Temari's face, lying next to his. She was now unconscious.  
How had he gotten onto this floating...? door, he noticed. He heard a person pant in exhaustion beside him. Kankuro had saved both of his siblings by pulling them to safety using his chakra strings. All that, whilst fighting for his own life in a stormy sea.

Why did Kankuro even bother? He had no idea. Was he really that important to his brother? No... How could anyone care about a monster? How should a monster react when he was being cared for? All these questions hunted Gaara's mind. Because of his insomnia, Gaara was unable to find rest in unconsciousness. He was almost jealous of Temari.  
Gaara just lied there, thinking, cold and painfully awake.

…..

He had blanked out about four hours later from exhaustion and boredom.

When his mind was clear enough to register his surroundings, Gaara became aware of the fact that he could no longer feel the swaying of the ocean. Instead, he felt somethings soft, cold and slightly wet. Sand.  
He was still lying on the door that came from the boat. It must have washed onto the shore of an island.  
Gaara slowly sat up. His eyes adjusted very quickly to the dim moonlight. Temari was still unconscious, and still there. And Kankuro was fast asleep with half his body still in the water. The jinchuriki was surprised that he felt... glad.  
He was safe. And so were his sib-... teammates.  
When he looked around, all he could see was sand and a lot of trees.

He stood up shakily and moved away from the ocean. Nice, dry sand. He felt much, much better knowing this.  
And what about...? Well, since they weren't going to see him do it, why leave them there? If they wake up now, I can always kill them. That thought made up his mind. Gaara made a pile of sand lift the door up, along with Kankuro and Temari, and placed it on a dry spot.  
Since his brother had saved his life... Maybe... I should care... thought Gaara.  
A feeling of disgust invaded him. Against himself. How did he end up owing his life to that pathetic puppet-nin?

**"Because you were weak. And he was strong enough to save you **_**and**_** Temari. I'm telling you, this guy is serious trouble. But he **_**did**_** rescue our butts."**

So, now Shukaku decided to bother him again. Gaara mentally sighed. This was going to be a long night. At least it wasn't raining anymore.

…...

**First chapter! I hope you liked it. I tried to make Gaara stay in character. The only way that he would let Kankuro help him is probably if water was involved... I'm sure you guys can guess what happened to the boat.  
I dunno why, but the 'escape the boat scene' was sort of inspired by Titanic... Except there is no Jack and Rose, just the awesome Sand Sibs. Now, what will Kankuro and Temari do, now that they are stuck with a confused Gaara?  
Hope you like it! R&R ~~~ XOXO HimekoUchia**


	2. Between Kind and Helpful

**Second chapter! I do not own the Sand Siblings! And I think the idea of deserted islands goes to the author of 'Robinson Crusoe'.  
I hope you enjoy this chapter!  
And sorry that this took so long... The good news is that school is over, so I can write more often.**

...

"How did the mission go?"  
"Very well, Kazekage-sama. Our jonin managed to infiltrate the boat, and sabotaged it."  
The Kazekage stared out of his office window, into the distance, towards the sea, where he knew his three children were now trapped. Probably dead. He smiled.  
"Good. Very good. How many people were there on the boat at that time?"  
"Twenty-seven, counting the jinchuuriki."  
"Oh. It's no big deal then. Sacrifices need to be made sometimes. You are dismissed."  
The messenger made to leave, them turned back towards the cruel village leader.  
"Ka-Kazekage-sama?"  
"What now?"  
"It's just... the jonin. He didn't make it back. The demon must have murdered him."  
"Oh, well. Too bad. That makes twenty-eight deaths. One more or less won't make much a difference."  
"Ve-Very good sir."  
The Kazekage heard the man leave. He was now alone with his beloved village, and no longer needed to worry about the threat that was his son.

...  
**  
"Shukaku's thoughts"**

The night is so very long. And lonely.  
If anything, Gaara was glad that it was almost halfway over. He had wandered around the island, searching. For anything. If he found something... He could get rid of the debt he owed Kankuro.

**"What are you even going to do? Be nice? Please... Don't make me laugh. Or puke."**

No. Kindness wasn't something that Gaara could do. Not automatically. He wanted to be... helpful. He wanted to show those two that_ he_ could take care of himself. That he didn't need _them_, but that they needed _him_. They were the useless ones. And that they actually... might _need_ his help. With that thought in his mind, Gaara continued his search.

...

He felt the wind ruffle his clothes. Still wet, this made Kankuro shiver. All of his memories came crashing down on him. Boat. Gaara. Temari. Storm. Blood. Waves. Boat. He groaned when he moved his aching limbs. Wait... If he could move, then he must be alive. This thought made his eyes flutter open. He saw a lot of trees and a lot sand. And he could feel the wooden door underneath him.  
Yes... He was still alive. He could even see the sunrise. And he could see... Temari.

Kankuro sat up sharply as if someone had shocked him.  
"Temari!" She didn't respond. He felt for a pulse. She was alive as well. The puppet-nin sighed in relief. His sister was safe.  
"Gaara!" He looked around. However, his brother was nowhere to be found. Panic invaded Kankuro's soul.  
"No... No... Please, no... No! Gaara! Please! Where are you..." He then saw the foot prints leading into the forest. He slumped to the floor and fought tears of happiness. He did it. He saved both of his siblings. They were all alive. Well, he had no idea where Gaara was, but he knew that his little brother was safe with this beach around them.

"Nhhh... Kan... Kankuro... Ga... Gaara..." The boy crawled over to his sister. He felt her forehead. No fever. He checked her head, arm and leg. It stopped bleeding, but the wounds were pretty deep. Looking around, he found nothing that could help him much. Kankuro took off his shirt and ripped it into three large strips. He checked the wounds for glass then bandaged Temari's cuts as well as he could.  
"Temari... Please, be OK..." The kunoichi was unconscious again.  
Maybe I should move her, before the sun warms things up to much... though Kankuro. He tried to lift his sister up, but his arms were to painful and weak. Why? Kankuro examined himself. He wasn't off to bad. He only had a couple huge bruises and a few slices on his skin. But his limbs were exhausted for keeping his siblings on board his make-shift boat through the storm.

If he wanted to move Temari, he would need Gaara's help.  
Kankuro shivered at that thought. He really doubted that the jinchuuriki would help Temari, even if she was his sister. That didn't matter to Gaara. He wasn't going to care. Kankuro sighed. He was suddenly felt nervous. On the spot, he had instinctively saved his little brother. But, now... He put Temari and his life in danger. Gaara was dangerous. Maybe... He shouldn't have saved him.

Kankuro snorted at himself in disgust. How could he think something like that? No. He did not regret saving Gaara. No matter how terrifying, crazy or murderous the jinchuuriki was, he was still his little brother. Even if Gaara didn't see it that way, Kankuro could _never_ regret saving him. All he had to do was to make sure that neither him or Temari would get in Gaara's way, then they might survive. Because they were on this island in the middle of nowhere. He wondered if anybody else was here.

Kankuro slowly stood up on his shaky legs. When he was sure to not collapse, he noticed how thirsty and hungry he was. He cupped his hands around his mouth.  
"H-Hello? Is anyone here? Please! Anyone?" He groaned when his head throbbed in pain. Shouting was definitely out. He sighed, sat down next to Temari and hoped that Gaara would come back for them.

**...**

**"Shukaku's thought"**

Gaara stared at his reflection. The water shone like a mirror in the sunrise. It was so... clean. Gaara felt his thirst taking over. He cupped his hands and brought water to his lips and drank. When he had his fill, he stood up to have a better look at his surroundings. A clearing. A cave. A fresh water river. How could things be more... perfect wasn't exactly the word, but Gaara couldn't think of any other.

**"I can. Desolate. Lonely. Sad. You know why kid? Because of you. Because that is all that you are. Even your stupid siblings would agree with me... You should just kill them. They just take up to much of your thoughts now. Just get rid..."**

Gaara ignored the demon. His head hurt enough without having to listen to it's constant comments.  
He had searched the island the whole night. It was deserted. No one else was here. But, about three hours ago, he found this place. It even had shelter. More than enough room for three. Wait... Why was he automatically thinking about those two losers? Shukaku was right. Why did he even care about them? Gaara was confused. He clenched his heart, hoping that the feeling would go away. It didn't. Instead, it started hurting. Bad. The jinchuuriki's trembling hand tightened around his chest. The wound of the heart... What was the cure already?  
Gaara refused to think of that word.

He stood up sharply. This feeling... had nothing to do with love. He just... didn't want to be alone. But he was alone. He always was. It's just that Temari and Kankuro were here with him. But they didn't have the choice. Wait... Kankuro did. He didn't have to save him in the first place. He could have just let him drown. He could have, but he didn't. Gaara turned way from his reflection and started walking back towards the shore. If he could bring his sibl- teammates to the water, they could drink. Because, or else, they would die. And why did Gaara care? … He didn't... He just... They could still be useful...

**"Yeah. Sure. Keep telling yourself that kid. Just don't go all caring OK? I'm starting to be disappointed in you. You are going to become weak. Too much feeling. Like gratefulness. Who do you think you are? The puppet freak saved you. I have no idea why. But, don't forget, you owe him your life. And remember... He **_**hates**_** you. And that will never change for someone like you."  
****  
**...

Kankuro brushed the hair out of Temari's eyes. She hadn't woken up again. Kankuro was still waiting, hoping for Gaara to return. He realized that he might not come back.  
He still felt slightly shaky. But he couldn't just leave his sister there. Who knows what might happen.

He gently picked Temari up. He stood still a few minutes to make sure that he could hold her without dropping her. He turned towards the forest, feeling depressive.  
"Now... What do I do?"

"Come with me." Kankuro nearly jumped out of his skin. He snapped his head to his left and saw Gaara standing there. He grinned in relief.  
"Phew. Gaara. I was wondering when you'd show up."  
The red headed ninja walked away without a word, followed by his brother.

They walked through the forest for a long time. Kankuro was starting to get worried. What was this about? Where was Gaara taking him?  
"Um... Gaara? Where..."  
"Shut up and walk." Kankuro shivered at his brother's tone. So he did as he was told. After about twenty more minutes of complete silence and hiking, Kankuro saw a clearing up ahead.

When he walked out of the trees, he nearly gasped. Water. Space. A cave. This was perfect! It wasn't a fairy clearing with flowers everywhere, but it had everything that he needed.  
"Nice! When did you find it Gaara?"  
The jinchuuriki walked over to a boulder and sat on it.  
"During the night." He didn't have to remind Kankuro that he didn't sleep. No body forgot about him being a monster.

Kankuro went closer to the river and placed Temari down. He checked her wounds. Not any better than before. He wanted to wipe the blood of his sister's body, but realized that he had already used his shirt as bandages. He sighed and washed his hands, then started slowly wetting Temari's cheek. He was afraid to get water onto the wounds. That might reopen them. He was trying to think of a way to do this when something black dangled in front of his face.  
He blinked, confused. He took the cloth. He slowly turned his head around and saw Gaara walking back to his boulder, shirtless. He was glaring at floor, as if he regretted doing something helpful.

Kankuro grinned at his little brother.  
"Thank you." Gaara just shrugged and continued glaring.  
The older boy dipped the black shirt into the river, wrung it out then started dabbing Temari's face, arms, legs, and eventually decided to completely clean her. Her body was covered in so much dried blood. Poor Temari.  
He washed the shirt and hung it on a branch to dry. Kankuro then walked back to the river and took a long drink. Gaara was staring curiously at him.  
"What is it?"  
"You assisted Temari first? Before even caring for yourself?" Kankuro just shrugged.  
"Well, yeah. I can't think of only myself when Temari is in this state. I have to help her. _First_. She needs me more than I need to drink."  
Gaara stared at him blankly for a long time. Kankuro started shifting uneasily underneath his gaze.

"Nhhh... Ouch..." The two boys snapped out of their trance and looked at their sister.  
"Temari!"  
"Urg. Kankuro... Shut up. My head hurts... Hmmm... Gaara. Where's Gaara?" The kunoichi tried to sit up but the puppet-nin pushed her back down.  
"Don't worry. He's right here. You need to rest, you are messed up pretty bad." Temari sighed in relief when she heard that Gaara was there. This confused the young ninja. She was _happy_ that he was here? Not terrified? Not angry at Kankuro for saving him? He had no idea.

The blonde kunoichi groaned in pain when she turned her head, then groaned some more when she saw her arm.  
"What... Happened? Last thing I remembered... There was the glass and..."  
"When the boat tipped, you crashed through the window. That's why you are sliced up. Then I pulled you onto a floating door. And all three of us ended up here. Then Gaara found this place. So, yeah."

Temari smiled up to her brothers. She was stuck on a deserted island. She was messed up. She was in pain. But she knew that her two little brothers were safe with her. She smiled more.  
"Kankuro?"  
"Yes?"  
"Gimme some water."

...

**"Shukaku's thoughts"**

Gaara was amazed. His sister could still manage a smile, even in her state. She was brave. So was Kankuro.

**"Yup. And you offered **_**your**_** shirt to wipe your sister's blood. Did the shipwreck mess up your brain or something? What was that for? I'm sure that the puppet freak could have managed."**

He didn't know. When he saw Kankuro run out of ideas to help Temari. He knew that it was his chance to be helpful. On the spot, he had felt like he... actually..._ wanted_ to help. And the grateful smile that his brother had given him... Made some of his pain fade. Was that love? Friendship? Family? No. That was too easy. He couldn't trust people too easily. He was a monster. They would probably betray him first chance they got. They didn't want him. They didn't need him. They always had each other to count on. He was unnecessary.

He watched Kankuro as he cared for Temari. He catered to her every need. Gaara, behind his cold mask, was wondering if caring for those you love, like his brother was, was what made you truly human.

"Kankuro?"  
"Yeah?"  
"I'm really hungry. And I can't move." When Temari said this, four stomachs growled in the clearing. The kunoichi's, Kankuro's, Gaara's and Shukaku's. No body had eaten since the shipwreck. Kankuro stood up.  
"I'll go find something." Gaara felt uncomfortable. He didn't want to be left alone with Temari. If Shukaku took control, who knew what might happen when she was in this state.

**"Yeah. So you are more worried about them than about me? You are so ungrateful, meanie. And do you want to know what would happen if I took control? Let's just say that it had something to do with slicing that girl into ribbons and absorbing every last drop of her blood. Then the puppet freak. I would go even slower and more painfully for him. Maybe start by..."**

"No. I'll go." Gaara didn't let them respond and walked out of the clearing, into the forest, leaving an extremely confused Kankuro to look after his sister.

After a few minutes of wandering around, Gaara stopped walking and glared at his feet. He should feel better, away from those two. He didn't understand why, but the way his siblings were acting in this situation was poisoning him. Their care, their love, their brave smiles. Everything just made him... Want to go back to them, be with them. Gaara suddenly felt sick again. Why? Why him? Why now? He shouldn't care. He didn't care. He really didn't... And he knew that no matter how hard he tried, he would never stop lying to himself. At least... _they_ weren't here. He couldn't let them see him like this. If they did... They would surely betray him, like Yashamaru did. And Gaara could not let that happen again. Not here, not now, not ever. Not them.

**"Nice speech kid. Now get the food. Whilst **_**you**_** are standing here being sick, dopey and all mushy, **_**some**_** people are actually starving."**

As if Gaara needed reminding that he was a monster and that everyone hated him for that reason. He had Shukaku's voice in his head. And even the demon would probably betray him if he wasn't bound in his body.

**"You got that right."**

Gaara clenched his fists and started searching for food.  
He found trees filled with fruit. Using his jinchuuriki senses, he made sure that they were edible. They were. He used his sand to snap a branch off one of the trees. He didn't do berry picking.  
There were a lot of fruit on the branch, so Gaara figured that it should be enough for him and his teammates.

He crossed his arms and walked back to the clearing, plastering the most emotionless expression he could master onto his face. If he was doubting himself on the inside, there was no way that he would let anybody know. And nobody will _ever_ know.

**"Too late kid. Do I count?"**

"No" replied Gaara out loud. He walked past the last trees and into the clearing. Temari still had a brave smile on her face and Kankuro looked up hopefully when he saw his brother return. With food. The red headed boy placed the tree branches beside his sister. When Kankuro tried to feed her, she nearly bit his fingers off. She stuck her tongue out.

"I'm not that useless. I can feed myself ya know."  
The puppet-nin then helped her slowly sit up so that Temari could use her good arm. Then, all three of them ate in silence.  
Gaara wasn't the type to start conversations. Temari was aware that he could kill all of them easily if she said the wrong thing, so she kept her mouth shut. And Kankuro was simply exhausted and had a lot to say, but just didn't feel like opening his mouth for anything other than eating right now.

When the 'meal' was finished, nobody knew what to do. Gaara was the first one to move, when he walked over to the other side of the clearing to retrieve his now dry shirt. Kankuro then decided to build their shelter.

He examined the small cave, which was going to be the base. He made three beds out of leaves.  
Gaara, under his ever emotionless face, was confused. He didn't sleep. He didn't need a bed. Kankuro answered the question that he didn't ask.  
"Its for relaxing Gaara. We all need to do that, you know, now that we are stuck here. If we don't, we're going to turn crazy."  
Gaara tried hard to not smirk. He succeeded.  
Crazy? It was a little too late for him. He was the definition of psychotic, even he knew that. Kankuro seemed to read his mind.  
"Gaara... You are not crazy. Well... Not really anyway." The older boy grinned at his little brother, which Gaara replied to with a death glare, making Kankuro shiver. Gaara spun around and marched away.  
Why? Whenever he was with his brother, he kept getting so angry, like always before the accident. Except this time, it was different. If he wasn't threatening him, he didn't seem afraid anymore. He even smiled, laughed and joked at him. And it made him feel... warm. Not to mention sick. Gaara suddenly felt panic. He lived on people's fear. What if Kankuro didn't fear him anymore... What was left?

**"Me, duh."**

Gaara snorted out loud. Then quickly looked around him. No, his teammates didn't see. He had wandered out of the clearing again. He ran his hand through his hair. Maybe he should make his siblings fear him again. That was what Shukaku wanted him to do.

**"Yes, it is. Fear. Make then fear you. Make them crawl at your feat, like the good old times. Make them hate you again."**

Gaara flinched at that. Hate? He wasn't sure if he still wanted them to... _hate_ him. Fear. Hate. Was it different? He thought so. Fear was useful. But hate... leads to betrayal. And Gaara couldn't imagine what he would do if he was betrayed again. By his own... siblings.  
No. He couldn't stand that thought. Shukaku was wrong here. Shukaku wanted Gaara to hurt Temari and Kankuro. To make them hate him. Gaara always trusted the demon's instincts. But... Now...  
Maybe... Just maybe... It was time to believe what _he_ wanted.

**…**

**God. Gaara is such a confused little boy sometimes right? And his siblings are so cool.**  
**I hope that this chapter was good! Review if you loved it! Or hated it, that's cool too.**  
**XOXO~~HimekoUchia**


	3. When They Believe in Me

**OK, third chapter. Hope you enjoy it! I'm posting this today as a birthday present for my dad. Not exactly an extremely lively fanfic, but I'm sure he would have loved to read it anyway.  
The Sand Siblings do not belong to me. So, please don't sue me people-who-go-around-suing-people.  
For most of the story, I wrote not through Kankuro and Gaara's eyes, but their hearts. Temari's heart will be opened for us now.  
Now, the chapter:**

….

"Yuudai! Please! Calm yourself!" screamed the frantic woman, trying to hold her brother down. To prevent him from running out of their house and trashing things. He swung around and faced her.  
"Calm myself? How could you even say that Reina? How can I be calm when our Kazekage is a... a monster?" His eyes were filled with anger and pain. "He didn't care if the entire boat sunk and everyone died just as long as his own children perished! It didn't matter to him. He doesn't value anyone's life! He doesn't value family! He didn't care if on that ship was someone's lover! Or parent! Or child! Or... brother... Our brother. The Kazekage told me that he would live. That the mission wasn't supposed to... to kill him. That there was nothing to worry about. That all he had to do was sabotage the ship. And that he would escape. He... he should have escaped. He should be alive. He should be here with us..." Yuudai spun around and punched a hole into the wall. He screamed in agony and fury. His sister looked away from the damage and held back tears. They had already cried enough. She walked over to the man and put an arm around his shoulder.  
"Yuudai... Nothing you do can change what happened. It's too late now. You are the one who gave him the report. The mission was a success. The boat sunk. It vanished, like it was supposed to. But, no one survived. Jiro is gone, Yuudai. Our brother is gone. And he will never come back."

...

Temari watched as Gaara stormed out of the clearing for the second time.  
"Kankuro... What did you say this time?" sighed Temari. She had no idea what had happened between her brothers whilst she was out cold, but, whatever it was, it had changed both of them. When she had awoken, she had seen concern and care in Kankuro's eyes, when he used to be so immature and always got in trouble.  
And, in those few hours together, she knew that Gaara had somehow changed as well. His eyes weren't filled with pure hate and bitterness like they once were. But, apart that, on the outside, it didn't look as if he was any different. But, Temari was his sister. She couldn't explain his constant death glares and stomping out of the clearing just to return a few minutes later with a blank expression. Then, he would rip branches off trees and help Kankuro with the shelter, only to storm out again when the older boy made him mad. No, she had no idea what was going on in his head. But, Kankuro was still alive. And that was enough to convince her that Gaara was somehow... different.

"I... uh... called him... little." muttered the puppet-nin, just loud enough for his sister to hear. Temari looked at him, shocked.  
…Yes, if Kankuro was still alive after _that_...  
"Something is wrong here." announced the kunoichi. Her brother raised an eyebrow.  
"What?"  
"It's Gaara... Since this morning he is acting... so... patient. Kankuro... what _really_ happened on the boat? And during and after the shipwreck?" Temari shifted slowly, to not further damage her butchered arm and leg. The other ninja sighed. He placed the wood he was holding on the floor.

"I'm not to sure. You know Gaara, he's... different. On the boat, the first weird thing happened. There was this little kid lying next to a Sand Coffin crushed dude. She said that Gaara had saved her when the guy attacked her. He apparently sabotaged the ship..." Kankuro silenced Temai when she gasped at that information. "Then that's when the boat tipped over and Gaara lost all his sand in the flood. I pulled him out of the bottom floor and we went looking for you. When we saw you lying there... Gaara just froze on spot. I picked you up but the boat flipped over. I found a floating door and pulled both of you onto it. For half the night, Gaara just stared at your face. Then, I fell asleep, so I have no idea what happened after that. When I woke up, he wasn't there. I made the bandages with my shirt, so that's why I'm half naked. After about an hour, he came back saying he found this clearing. I saw the river and cleaned up your wounds... with Gaara's shirt, that he offered. Don't ask me. I have no idea what was wrong with him either. But I'm glad that he did it. Then you woke up, and you know the rest."

Temari stared at him Kankuro for a few minutes, absorbing what he had told her. Something was definitely up with her youngest brother. She wasn't so sure that he wanted to share his problems though. She then lifted her head.  
"Maybe... He's like, really, _really_ sick or something? He didn't look too good during the trip."  
"Nah. He was mostly fine after that." Both ninjas sighed and tried to figure their brother out. Temari then sighed again and looked at Kankuro right in the eye.

"I never thought that I'd ever say this but, Kankuro, thank you for saving my life and the life of our little brother. I've got to say, you look more mature and macho now. Even without that freaky makeup."  
She grinned when the puppet-nin scowled at her.  
"How many times do I have to tell you... Stop calling it makeup! You know very well that it's war paint and that it's badass!" The kunoichi laughed, holding her side because of the stabs of pain in her wounded limbs.  
"Yeah. Sure. Wearing makeup is badass. I agree with you _sis_."  
"It is badass! And I'm not a girl!" By now Kankuro was glaring and laughing at the same time.  
"You are."  
"Am not."  
"Are too.  
"Are not!"

"... Hn." The siblings' bickering was cut short with Gaara's return. They turned to face the jinchuuriki who was glaring holes into the floor.  
"Oh. Hey Gaara. Nice of you to join us again." Grinned Kankuro. Temari pinched him on the arm, warning him. She didn't want the red head to get any madder than before. He seemed... calm. But you never know when that might change.

…

**"Shukaku's thoughts"  
**

"**Oh my god. Come on! Kill them! I mean, the puppet freak pissed you off again and you escaped with me. When you return, what does he do? He acts as if nothing happened! Wipe that smile off his mug! Crush him!"**

'Shut up!' Screamed Gaara into his head. It was hard enough trying to not kill his siblings. It was even harder to try to get them to not hate him. But, on top of all that, Shukaku was desperately trying to make him snap. And, much to the jinchuuriki's annoyance, it was slowly working. That is why he needed the time away from him teammates. To shut the demon back into it's dark pit of Hell, which was located somewhere in the back of his mind. And Shukaku didn't like it. So he was doing everything to make his life harder, and miserable.

Gaara had mindlessly started collecting wood for the shelter he shared with is siblings. He left it up to Kankuro to build it. His brother was extremely good with wooden constructions, thanks to the years of puppet making. Temari would comment on Kankuro's actions or ask him for water. But, mostly, she would watch her brothers worked together with a small smile on her lips.

"How did I get so lucky..." The two boys looked at their sister.  
"Huh? What do you mean?"  
"I mean... Look at me. The oldest of my brothers is so mature, brave and selfless. My younger brother was the strongest ninja in the entire village. He could do amazing things. And... Come on. I survived a friggin shipwreck _mostly_ unharmed. Plus, I get to boss you around. I dunno about you, but I'm sure that I'm the lucky one here." Kankuro rolled his eyes at Temari's speech. Sisters. They could be all caring and mushy, then, suddenly, annoy you like hell. Gaara took it differently. He didn't show it, but he was shocked to hear what his sister truly thought about him. Strong? He agreed. Amazing? Absolutely. But, he didn't expect Temari, the girl that grew up under his constant death threats, to think that way. He groaned as felt throbbing pain in his forehead when his demon decided to input.

**"She was lying. Duh. She hates ya. And, really, you wouldn't be strong or amazing without me. You'd be like them. Useless. So thank you who? Thank you Shukaku!"**

His siblings were staring, worried at him. He only had a brief second to be surprised. He had to be sure.

"Temari. Were you lying?" He could always kill her if she was.  
The kunoichi looked at him, shocked, then smiled.  
"Of course not Gaara. Lying would be saying that Kankuro looks manly in his makeup!" The puppet-nin stared open mouthed at her.  
"But- But... You said that I was mature and brave!"  
"You _are_. Sometimes. But you look like a porcelain doll with the make-..."  
"_Kabuki_ paint!"  
"Whatever." Gaara heard Kankuro mutter something like 'damn sister... backstabbing... thinks she's untouchable because of her wounds...'. Inside of his head, he felt lighter. Temari had assured him that she wasn't lying. But, then again, she could have lied for that as well... Then Gaara was confused again.

"Hey... You OK?" The demon vessel hadn't realized that he had just snapped a branch between his fingers, in frustration. Why? Why did they make him so afraid of betrayal? If it had been anyone else, he could have just killed them, no problem. But for these two... He just wanted them to need him and never abandon him, unlike everybody else from his village.

"I'm fine." he said coldly.  
"You don't look fine to me little brother." Kankuro looked at him, determined to help somehow. Gaara was filled with amazement. Whenever he said 'I'm fine', his siblings would take it as 'leave or die'. None of them had ever insisted to know his problem. And they suddenly acted like they cared. This made Gaara mad.

"Mind your own business." he said as threateningly as he could. It worked. A wave of fear filled Kankuro's eyes as he looked back to the wall he was building. Gaara felt like shouting victory. He had finally made his teammate afraid of him again. Now he that he had gotten the power back, he would never let them...

"No, but really. What were you thinking so hard about?" The jinchuuriki glared at the kunoichi who had taken away his moment.

**"Oh no she didn't! See? This is what I'm telling you about. They don't respect you, or your privacy! Even your wounded, weak and useless sister is standing up to you! Kill her! Or you'll sink lower, and lower, and lower, until you drown in failure! Feed me her blood. I want her blood. You know you want it. Blood! Blood! Blood! Blood! Beautiful blood! Tasty Blood! Pure Blood! Warm, red, fulfilling bl-..."**

"SHUT UP!" screamed Gaara, clenching the sides of his head in despair. Why... Why him? This stupid demon was trying to destroy any sanity left in him! Making him feel disgusted about everything he did!  
"I'm... sorry... Gaara. I just... wanted to help." the red head jolted out of his angry thoughts and glanced at Temari, who looked completely taken aback and upset. No... He hadn't meant to yell at _her_. It was the annoying sand spirit...

"N- No... I didn't..." he stopped. Why was he explaining himself? He didn't need to. Not to those two. They didn't need to know anything about him.  
Realization colored his sister's face.  
"Shukaku?" she asked him in a soft voice. Gaara couldn't help but like that voice... It was... comforting. He was glad that she understood.

**"So you _want_ them to understand you, but you _don't_ want them to know anything about you? And they said that _I'm_ messed up."**

Gaara nodded slowly. "Yes. I was... arguing... with Shukaku."

Both of his siblings stared at him in surprise. He had actually answered their question. Kankuro couldn't help grinning.  
"I didn't know that you two have disagreements! I thought that he was like... your ultimate advice giver or something." Gaara clamped his teeth together pure frustration. So his brother thought that Shukaku completely controlled his mind or something. Was that really what everyone thought of him? Powerless against a spirit?  
"No. I don't... take advice from him... anymore. If I did... You two would be dead." The puppet-nin's mouth popped open for a second. The kunoichi's eyes grew wide. She then smiled.  
"It's a good thing that you control him so well then. See... I was right. You are the strongest ninja of the entire village." Gaara plunged back into his pool of thoughts. Was that what Temari had meant all along? That she knew... and believed that her brother was truly powerful himself, not Shukaku?

Did this mean that... Temari didn't consider him as one with his demon like the entire population of Suna did? Gaara felt gratitude towards his sister. For actually thinking of him, maybe for even just that second, as a person. Not as the monster that everyone else saw in him.

By the time the shelter was almost finished, it was night time again. The three walls pressed against the cave and the roof stood firmly. All that was missing was a door. And the fence that Kankuro wanted to put up for safety measures.  
"Urg. I'm beat. The rest will have to wait for tomorrow." Temari looked at the wide open gap.  
"Yeah, sure. And we will get eaten in our sleep."  
"Hey, don't be dumb. And only I'm human, I can't do everything!"  
"If you weren't so prissy about every single detail in the walls then it could have been finished!"  
"I didn't see you do any work! We're gonna be fine!"  
"That's because I'm wounded! And the smell of my blood will probably attract every predator..."

"Hn." The arguing siblings turned to look at their brother. Gaara returned their stares expressionlessly. "I'll keep watch."  
Temari and Kankuro looked between each other. Kankuro grinned.  
"Thanks Gaara. It's cool to have an insomniac brother sometimes... ow..." Temari had pinched his arm again, glared at him and smiled at Gaara.  
"Thank you. We appreciate it."

Gaara nodded, emotionless. On the outside. He didn't know how he should feel if his siblings actually... trusted him enough to let their lives between his hands when they were vulnerable, asleep. Temari didn't even seem afraid. She said that she appreciated it.

**"Oh my god. Fake. Fake... Fake! Fake! Fake! Fake! Kill, kill, kill! Come on! This is a great opportunity! They won't even feel the pain! Win-win for us!"**

Once again, Gaara squished Shukaku out. He finally understood. He didn't need the demon's advice. He wasn't seen as a complete monster by his team. But, still, he felt confused. He watched as Kankuro gently picked Temari up and placed her on her bed of leaves. The small smile they exchanged. Gaara expected Kankuro to go straight to bed, but, instead, he walked out of the shelter towards him. The jinchuuriki thought that this was a good time to ask Kankuro questions.  
"Do you... trust me?" The puppet-nin raised an eyebrow at his little brother.  
"If I didn't, we wouldn't let you stand guard wouldn't we?"  
"Why... do you trust me?" Kankuro thought about it for a moment.

"Well... Many reasons. Firstly, because we don't have much a choice. If we don't trust you, we die."  
"What if I killed you tonight? And Temari?" Gaara noticed that Kankuro visibly winched at that. The puppet-nin opened his mouth to say something, but closed it again and actually thought about his answer.  
"If you wanted to kill us... you would have done it earlier, like you said. But... In case you... lose control... but I trust that you won't!... Don't go for Temari. She can't defend herself in this state. But, I-... I can. So, please, if you really, really can't..." The jinchuuriki's eyes widened.  
"You'd put your own life in danger to protect her?"

"Yes, I would. Gaara... Look. I'm really sorry about everything that happened to you. I wish that, somehow, I could have helped. But the past is gone. I want to try to make things better, for the three of us, now and later. Since we are stuck here, the only way we can do that is if we can trust each other." Gaara once again plastered an expressionless look onto his face.  
"I do not trust you." Kankuro smiled sadly at him. Then grinned.  
"But..._ I_ trust _you_. And so does Temari. Goodnight little bro. I'm tired. And, hopefully, no flesh eating bugs will enter the shelter tonight. I'm counting on you OK?"

Kankuro hesitated for a moment, but squeezed his eyes shut and patted Gaara on the shoulder. He felt his brother flinch and hiss in shock, but didn't feel his death. After a few second, he assumed that he was going to live, and cracked open an eyelid. The jinchuuriki wasn't moving an inch, so the puppet-nin murmured another 'goodnight' an walked into their makeshift house. A chuckle was heard.  
"Look at our tough, brave Temari. Sleeping like a little baby."

Gaara's thoughts were in a haze. Or more like a huge storm. What was this? The trust? The words? Had Kankuro really just dared to... touch him? How did he feel about it? So many questions. And so many unknown answers. And he only knew one of them for sure. His shoulder... it felt so... warm.

…

**OK, finished the chapter. I hope you liked it! Please review! I'd appreciate it!**  
**Oh, and I'm going on holiday tomorow. So that means less time writing. And much less internet time. But I will do my best to update OK? Because if I don't, you would all kill me.**  
**My lovely reviewers are: Tiger and Lily Mistresses, Gaaras1Girl, AkatsukIxGirL and Azhamaria. Thank you guys.**  
**~~~XOXO HimekoUchia**


	4. The Feeling of Guilt

**Chapter 4! Finally! I do not own the Sands Sibs, sadly. I don't even own my computer. It's my friend's, and she doesn't have a word processor. So I'm writing the whole thing directly into the document manager.  
Sorry that this took pretty long. As a sorry present, I made this pretty long. My longest chapter of any fanfic yet.  
Anyways, enjoy!**

**...**

"Yuudai... What is this about?"  
"You heard me. I'm joining the search party for the remains of the boat."  
The jonin continued tossing things into the messy, open bag on his bed.  
"But... the boat sank. It's gone. You said so yourself. It was all planned."  
"Yes... But the population of Suna doesn't know that. To not raise any suspicion, the Kazekage sent out a few teams of elite to track down the rest of the boat. He knows that, even if we find it, we will only find chunks of wood and the remains of the passengers."  
"Then... Why do people bother?"  
"Reina... Those passengers had families. Families that want to know what happened each and every one of them. Where they now rest. Our brother had a mission, but he didn't return. I want to be sure... about what had happened exactly, and why he didn't come back. You understand, do you?"

The jonin zipped his bag and slung it over his shoulder. His sister followed him out of the room, until the doorstep.  
"Yuudai... I want to help. I will do my best to learn as much as I can about this incident. When you return, we could compare finds."  
"That sounds alright to me. Good bye Reina. Be careful. I have a feeling... You will need to be discreet about this."  
"Yes. Good bye brother. Return safely."

...

Temari's eyes opened slowly. She blinked a few times, until her eyes adjusted to the light that shined through the opening of the shelter. She stopped moving, and tried to remember where she was. After a few seconds, all her memories returned.  
She gently ran her hand along the side of her bed. She felt leaves, sand and pain is her arm. No, she wasn't dreaming. All that actually happened. If she remembered well, it was impossible to feel pain in dreams.  
She lifted her left arm, the one that wasn't sliced up. She waved and stretched it above her head until she was sure that it still worked. After a few minutes, she squeezed her eyes shut and slowly pushed herself into a sitting position. She groaned at the arching all over her body and at the spinning in her head. But, she knew that it wasn't so bad for a shipwreck. Her limbs actually hurt a little less than the day before. That was good sign.

She opened her eyes again and looked around her. Last night, she fell asleep so fast that she didn't have time to admire her brothers' work. It might not be finished, but they had done a pretty good job. Kankuro was a pro with wood after all.  
The roof above her head was half the cave and half branches and leaves. It look reasonably solid. So were the walls.  
Her eyes landed on Kankuro's sleeping form. His brow was scrunched up, as if he was having a nightmare. She wanted to wake him up, but decided against it for three reasons.  
One, he was exhausted because of everything he had done for Gaara and her and really needed his sleep.  
Two, it was just a dream. I couldn't kill him.  
Three, she wasn't sure she could even stand up, let alone walk over to him and shake him awake.

She sighed loudly. She didn't like being useless. But, she knew that she couldn't do much about it.  
She placed her left hand on the side of the cave and pulled herself to a standing position. Sort of. She was hopping on one leg, since the other one was damaged. But, then, she thought about it. As long as the bones weren't broken, she should be able to put some of her weight on it. She tentatively placed both feet on the ground and limped forward.  
It stung like hell, but it still worked. Anyway, she was a ninja. She had had much worse.

Kankuro's face had relaxed, so she decided to let him sleep a little longer. Instead, she made her way out of the shelter and into the morning sun. She swept her eyes across the clearing and found Gaara sitting cross legged, eyes closed on the floor. Next to him was a rather large pile of branches.  
"Uh... Good morning Gaara... How was your night?" The jinchuuriki lifted his head and looked at Temari.  
"... Long..." The kunoichi held back her smile. She suspected that he would say something like that.  
"Any attacks during the night?"  
"No."  
"Oh. Good. Thank you." The red head narrowed his eyes.  
"For what?"  
"Making sure we were safe all night." She scanned the area again and limped over to a rock to sit on it. She almost sighed in pleasure when she removed the strain on her right leg. Her brother's face seemed emotionless, but, she could see the confusion in his eyes.

"Yes?"  
"... You aren't healed?" The kunoichi shook her head and smiled sadly at her brother.  
"Nope. It hurts less than yesterday though... Did you really escape the shipwreck intact?" Gaara paused and thought about it. He didn't feel any pain. Without counting the one in his chest, because that one was always there.  
"I... hurt my foot during the flood. It's gone now. I heal fast... because of Shukaku." He expected his sister to flinch at the mention of the demon, but she just looked... frustrated.  
"Aww... I wish I healed fast. So that I could help around instead of letting you guys do all of the work. I feel bad." Gaara's eyes widened in shock. Temari felt bad for letting him and Kankuro do all the work? He didn't understand, or know, that feeling. But, he didn't expect Temari, of all people, to feel guilty about anything.

The kunoichi was glowing on the inside. She had managed to have a normal conversation with her brother. Judging by the concentrated look on his face, he hadn't even noticed.  
After a few minutes of silence, she asked him another question.  
"What are those for?" She indicated the pile of branches on his side. He stared at the wood for a few seconds before looking at her.  
"The shelter."  
"Oh." She felt surprised. So... Gaara actually wanted to help? Or he could have just been bored during the night.

Temari mentally sighed. She couldn't do much to help to help them with the construction. But... Hopefully, she could help Gaara. Since they had all changed, she wondered... Maybe... In the distant future, but still... If they could actually... become a family.

...

**"Shukaku's thoughts"**

**"I can't believe you fell for it! You just talked to her like if she was an equal! She is only looking for a way to bring you down, kid! She is messing with you!"**

Gaara glanced over to Temari, who was gazing at the floor, deep in thought. When he had... communicated with her, he hadn't felt any trickery or dishonesty in her voice or face. He didn't know why he had automatically replied to her questions but, he felt that it was... safe to do so. His teammate had seemed genuinely curious about him. He couldn't imagine why she would care for him. Maybe Shukaku was right.

**"I am. I'm always right."**

He was about to disagree with the demon when a loud but muffled grunting noise came from the shelter. Both Temari and Gaara turned to gaze at Kankuro, as he walked out the door and sat down on the floor next to Temari with a thump. He looked completely exhausted. Gaara couldn't understand. He never slept, and was tired, but Kankuro just woke up from a whole night of sleep and looked like _that_.  
"Kankuro... Are you alright?" asked Temari, concern in her voice. Gaara was confused. Why did his sister keep asking questions? Why did she care about everyone else's well being? Kankuro looked at Temari and then at Gaara. The jinchuuriki felt a pang in his chest when the puppet-nin quickly looked away. What? He hadn't even glared at him.  
"I'm fine. Just... Uh... I spent the entire night being chased by a hundred puppets with pitchforks that were throwing fruit at me." The puppet-nin grinned when Temari tried to punch him in the arm.  
"Idiot! I was worried and that's what was bothering you? That nightmare was stupid!" Gaara noticed that Kankuro's cheery expression fell for a fraction of a second before he continued bickering with Temari.

What was the older boy's problem? He was lying to Temari. And he was avoiding to look at him.  
A few days ago, that would have made Gaara's day. But, now... He felt pissed. He was trying to get his siblings to not hate him, but Kankuro seemed to be hiding something from both of them. Especially him.

**"Well... Torture it out of him."**

The jinchuuriki considered it, but decided that it wouldn't make his teammates hate him less. But he wanted to know. Maybe... He could do the same as Temari. He could ask.  
"Kankuro... Why do you need to lie?" The puppet-nin's expression switched from shocked to guilty. So he _was_ hiding something. Temari's mouth popped open in surprise, then she looked at Kankuro, hurt clearly written in her face.  
"You were lying? About what?" The brunet shifted uncomfortably under his two siblings' gazes.  
"About nothing... It's nothing. I'm fine." Gaara's eyes narrowed. Kankuro always looked guilty when he told a lie.  
"You just lied."  
"I'm _fine_. It's _nothing_." spat Kankuro. His eyes were hard and angered. Gaara stopped his astonishment from slipping onto his face. He had never seen him like this, and Kankuro had definitely never, ever talked back to him like that. Before, he would have immediately killed the older boy. But, now, he felt hurt. He had actually let another person hurt him. Again.  
Gaara suddenly felt mad. He shot up onto his feet and faced his brother, sand floating menacingly around him. In the corner of his eye, he saw Temari freeze in terror. However, he was completely focused on Kankuro guilty and terrified face.

"Don't... you... dare... lie... to... me... Last night, you said that you trusted me and Temari. And you said that you wanted to make things better. Were you lying then too?" The puppet-nin's bottom lip trembled. His wide eyes met his brother's.  
"No... I wasn't. I do trust you two. I... Just..." his voice trailed off as he glared at the floor.  
"Kankuro... please... Just tell us... What is it?" whispered Temari. She seemed close to tears. She didn't want to loose Kankuro because he was hiding something from Gaara and her. The jinchuuriki could snap and kill him at anytime.  
Kankuro's brown eyes met Temari's blue ones.  
"I... I'm sorry. I didn't sleep well. I had a nightmare. That's all. It doesn't matter. I'm awake. It's no big deal..." He flinched when he met Gaara's furious green eyes.  
"Nightmare? You are lying to us because of a _nightmare_? Tell me... Why shouldn't I kill you right now?" Temari gasped. Tears spilled out of her eyes. No. Please no. This was all her fault. If she hadn't asked Kankuro if he was alright, they wouldn't be in this situation. Gaara standing over Kankuro sand swirling around him. And her, completely helpless.

"I... I'm... I'm sorry Gaara. And... because... you need my awesome wood skills to finish building the shelter..." The kunoichi mentally face palmed herself. Kankuro was such an idiot. Gaara continued glaring at his brother. The puppet-nin gulped and tried again.  
"Because... Temari and I are the only ones left... If you kill me..." Gaara tensed and looked at his sister. Her complete weakness. Her wide, tearful, pleading eyes. That were filled with horror. Gaara realized that, no matter how painless he made Kankuro's death, she would never, ever forgive him, and that she would truly hate him for it. His murderous intentions disappeared. He didn't _want_ to kill Kankuro, even if Temari would have forgiven him. His sand dropped onto the floor with thud.

An eerie silence roamed the clearing. The only noise was the beating of three hearts and three people breathing heavily. This silenced went on for an eternity...  
Until Temari sighed in relief. The two boys turned to look at her. Temari wiped the tears out of her eyes and smiled shakily at them.

**"Now... Do you feel better? They are finally terrified of you again. They respect you again. You even managed to make your sister cry! I'm proud of you kid! I'm really, really... What? What is this? Stop! Get a hold on yourself! Don't let that feeling take over! Stop! Don't! Gaara, listen to me- ..."**

Too late. It happened. Guilt... It hit Gaara like a train. This feeling... It was worse than wounds of the body. It added to the wounds of the heart... He had terrified his sister, made her cry... Horrified her and she still smiled. And... he had made Kankuro feel guilty. Was this how his brother had felt? Is this how _he_ had made his brother feel? More guilt poured in. _Why_ did he_ care_ about all of this again? Since _when_ did he care about their _feelings_? Gaara felt like a... like a...

**"Like a monster? Like a demon? Like a loser? News flash, you already were all of those things a long time ago..."  
**  
'Shukaku is right...' thought Gaara. He _was_ monster. And he was pretty sure that his siblings agreed. He had just ruined everything... They probably hated him again... Wait... They probably _always_ hated him, and now just hated him more.

"G... Gaara... are... are you OK?" he snapped his head around and stared at Temari. She looked concerned. She looked forgiving. She looked worried. No hate. No hostility. Gaara could still see the tear tracks on her face.  
"... _Who cares?_" he said bitterly. He spun around and ran out of the clearing.  
"Gaara! Wait! Stop! Come back!" The jinchuuriki ignored both of his siblings' pleas as he left them behind him and disappeared through the trees.

...

"Gaara..." whispered Temari, a new wave of tears overflowing her eyes. Kankuro looked at the spot where his brother was last standing, then at his sister crying again, and felt terrible again. If only... If only he hadn't said all of those things... Then it wouldn't have finished like this.  
"Temari... I'm really sorry..." the kunoichi shook her head and plastered a fake smile onto her face.  
"No... I'm sorry." the puppet-nin gawked at her. What had she done?  
"For what?"  
"For starting all of that... I should really shut my mouth sometimes... But, I was... Actually having a conversation with Gaara... He seemed... Fine..." she looked at Kankuro "But... What was that about? Why couldn't you tell us?"

More guilt flowed into Kankuro. He laughed nervously.  
"I... How could I tell Gaara and you that... In my mind, during my sleep... He was holding your lifeless body, unrecognizable, shredded, mangled and bloody? That he was laughing, smiling, grinning at me, holding the body of my sister, that he had murdered? Could I really have said that?" Temari stared at him wide eyed, opened mouthed for a few seconds. She looked as if she was trying hard to laugh, but no sound came out. She gulped and licked her lips before being able to speak.  
"No... But... Kankuro... That was ridiculous! How could you even dream of something like that? Gaara would never..." Temari stopped as she remember the nightmares she used to have when she was smaller... all of Gaara. Kankuro was doing the same. He hadn't had one of those haunting dreams in... days. Last night's one had been the most terrifying ever.  
"I guess... Gaara would never do that to..." Kankuro trailed off as he remember one little detail. Gaara would. He would mercilessly mangle a body. He would murder anyone. He had done just that on the boat. And about everyday before that...  
"He's different now. He wouldn't hurt us, Kankuro... I saw it in his eyes... He wasn't going to kill you... He was just trying to frighten you... He looked so guilty... He... I don't know..." Temari didn't sound very convinced, but they both realized that it was true. Gaara wasn't going to kill them. But, somehow... saying it believably out loud was hard.

...

**"Shukaku's thoughts"**

"...He wasn't going to kill you... He was just trying to frighten you...He looked so guilty... He... I don't know..." Gaara clenched his fists and scraped it across the tree, behind which he was hiding, eavesdropping.  
Temari didn't truly think that. He could hear it in her voice. So... to them... the true him was a monster. Kankuro even had a nightmare about him. About him murdering Temari. Why would Kankuro think that? Gaara knew why. Because he had murdered so many in cold blood. He had done everything that Kankuro had dreamed about, except that he hadn't killed Temari.  
If his brother had told him the truth earlier... He wasn't sure what he would have done. Shrug and forget it? Not likely. Threaten to kill him? ... Probably. Gaara felt even more guilty. His brother was right about not telling him. It was the smartest thing to do. If he had told him... He might even had taken his anger out on his sister. Not intentionally... But... Still. Because he was such a monster to them... He would have wanted them to pay for thinking of him that way...

... Since they hid things from him, since they thought of him as a demon, since they talked about him behind his back... He _wanted_ to make them pay.

... No. Did he? He didn't think so... He wanted them to fear him. He didn't want them to hate him. But that was too late... What did he want? He wanted them to feel the same way about him as he did for them. He... wanted them... to... _love_ him.  
Something in his mind snapped. What... the... hell... Love? He didn't love them. He didn't love them. He _didn't_ love them. He did _not_ love those two useless, annoying, pathetic, weak siblings. He didn't. He couldn't. He did.  
Gaara felt like laughing humorlessly. He had loved Yashamaru. And look where that brought him. He had ended up killing him. Accidentally, but still. And it had felt painful, horrible, terrible... **terribly good**. Gaara blinked a few times, confused. Wait... That wasn't it... What was happening? He... He wanted... **blood**.

**"Sorry kid. You aren't learning from your past mistakes. Good thing I'm here for you! Don't worry kid, you can count on me. I know what to do. Thanks for the body, by the way..."**

**...  
**  
**"Shukaku speaking"**

Temari and Kankuro gasped as a tree was hurled their way. The puppet-nin grabbed his sister and managed to avoid it just in time.  
"What the..." They both spotted Gaara standing there. Though they were pretty sure that it wasn't their little brother any more. His once emotionless face was twisted with pure, evil blood lust. His eyes were wide but dead inside. Sand had crawled up his legs and arms, forming an armor on most of the jinchuuriki's body. Temari and Kankuro's bodies iced in terror. This was not happening. This was very, very bad.

"Gaara..."  
**"Shut the fuck up. I've been waiting for that stupid idiot to cave in for days! Now that he has... I'm pretty sure you know what's coming for you!" **screeched the ecstatic demon.  
Kankuro remembered what Gaara had said. That if he had listened to Shukaku, he would have killed them a long time ago. He felt Temari shaking in his arms. He body seemed to move on it's own.

He tightened his hold on his sister and ran at full speed into the trees, climbing up a trunk and continuing his escape in the leaves. He heard more trees getting ripped out of the roots, as the psychotic boy demon ploughed through the forest, laughing hysterically.  
**"You think that you can hide from me? You think that you can escape with that girl and save yourself?"**

Kankuro's thoughts were diving in and out of his head. What happened to Gaara? How to survive? Will he die today? What about Temari? He kept running, hoping that he would lose the demon. Then what? Nothing could stop Shukaku. If he could just plant one hit on him, then he might snap Gaara out of it. But, his chances of doing that while protecting Temari were very small. He continued moving his feet frantically. Until he stepped onto a branch that moved and got thrown aside by the demon.  
With a scream of fear from both ninja, they fell towards the ground. Kankuro bent his legs to absorb the impact and felt an enormous chill run up his spine. He saw two eyes glaring at him.  
**"I told you. You can't escape. I'm faster and stronger than you."** Shukaku laughed at the puppet-nin's terrified face. **"Tell you what... As a thanks for saving Gaara and my butt during that storm, I'm going to make you a deal. Leave Temari here, and I will give you a twenty seconds head start. How does that sound?"  
**  
Temari looked at the demon. At her little brother. She had no idea if Gaara was conscious at all, but one thing she knew for sure. That short red headed person wanted her blood.  
"Temari... I'm going to put you down. Try to stay out of trouble." he placed the kunoichi down and she grabbed onto a tree for support. She looked fearfully from Kankuro to Shukaku.  
**"Her weakness is delicious. She isn't going to last long though. I suggest you start running now. I'm going to start counting-..."**  
"No. I'm going to make my own deal." Kankuro glared hatefully at the demon in front of him. "I will fight you. If I win, you let Gaara and Temari go." The kunoichi gasped.  
"Kankuro! Are you mad? Just leave me..."  
"Run. I'm going to hold him off." he whispered as softly as he could. Which sounded more like a hushed, terrified order. Shukaku was glaring evilly at him.

**"And if I win? I kill you all!"**  
Kankuro pushed Temari out of the way as a fist of sand was hurled his way. He jumped and landed on the arm. He ran and flung himself over the demon's head and landed on the other side of him, successfully drawing it's attention away from his sister.  
**"Oh, so this is what we are playing at? Evasive? Going slowly? OK!" **Shukaku threw a spike of sand at Kankuro, cutting him on the left shoulder. He threw another one that sliced his bare chest.  
Kankuro's face didn't betray any pain. He starting jumping from side to side, avoiding a maximum of attacks. Which wasn't many. In a few minutes, his body was pretty much covered in thin lines of blood, not meant to kill him, but to make his death slow and painful. He threw a chakra string at a branch and propelled it at the sand demon. His sand crushed it to nothingness. He felt his blood chill. Nothing he did could defeat Shukaku. He knew that.

An arm of sand punched him in the stomach, sending him flying and crashing into a tree. The boy coughed up blood, groaned in pain and stood up shakily, only to be placated to the tree by a ton of sand. He could feel Gaara's breath next to his ear.  
**"You're finished. But... I want to see you two idiots die together."** Kankuro closed his eyes. Hopefully, Temari could get to the ocean in time and render Shukaku's power useless against her. Or, she could find a hiding place so perfect, that even the demon couldn't find her. Kankuro just mentally begged Temari to be far, far away.  
**"... Where did that bitch go? Aw, damn. I guess I'm just gonna have to kill you first before going after her. Good bye. _Brother._"  
**Kankuro thanked his lucky stars and waited for the unimaginable pain to come. It didn't. He heard a thud, and all the sand around him fell. Gaara's body dropped against him. Kankuro automatically wrapped his arms around him and gently placed him to the floor. The younger boy's eyes were half closed and his armor of sand had melted back into the ground.

"That was way too close." Kankuro lifted his eyes and saw Temari, panting and holding her left hand, that she had used to punch Shukaku in the back of his head.  
"Idiot! Why didn't you run?" Temari lifted an eyebrow and snorted.  
"Why didn't _you_ run?" Kankuro sighed and looked at Gaara, who was probably not even half conscious.  
"Where were you?" Temari pointed at the branch above their heads.  
"But... Your leg!" The kunoichi sunk to the floor beside her youngest brother. Kankuro gasped in panic and held onto her shoulder. She looked annoyed at him.  
"I'm a ninja. I can deal with a little pain. It just stings like hell now."

Kankuro sighed in relief and pulled his sister gently into a hug. They were both still shaking.  
"You saved me, and Gaara. Thank you." Temari laughed nervously.  
"Yeah... But, look at us... Half of my body hurts to friggin' much... And now, look at you." She gestured to Kankuro's blood covered torso. He shrugged.  
"It doesn't matter. We're all more or less safe now... I didn't break anything."

They sat in silence for a few minutes. Temari broke it.  
"What... do you think happened? I thought he was getting better..."  
"I'm not sure. I think he must have heard us. He must have been hurt, so it made it easier for the demon to posses him." Temari bit her lip.  
"He... heard? But... I didn't mean... Oh, Gaara... I'm sorry..." She gently caressed the side of his face, something that she had never done before. His skin was soft, but still rough with the sand stuck to it.

After a while, Kankuro sighed.  
"I've got to carry Gaara back to the shelter. He is always exhausted after Shukaku takes over. He probably won't be able to move for a couple hours. And... Um..."  
"Don't worry. I can walk." Temari and Kankuro smiled at each other. The puppet-nin slowly picked his brother up, wincing when he pushed against the slices on his skin. But, he was fine. Temari stood up, holding onto Kankuro's shoulder. The boy chuckled and started walking back to their 'home', supporting both of his siblings.  
"Oh, father... If you could only see us now..."

**...**

**Wow. Geez. I hope that it was good. I have no idea how the siblings would react if Gaara went psycho. Something like that, I guess.**  
**So, yeah. The next chapter will be about how Gaara will react and how they grow closer and closer still, all that blah.**  
**If you have any suggestions for things they could do on this island, leave the idea in a review of pm me. So, yeah, please review!**  
**My reviewers are: Tiger and Lily Mistresses, Gaaras1Girl, Azhamaria, AkatsukIxGirl, Uchikazesis235, the girl in your closet. Thank you!**  
**~~~ XOXO HimekoUchia**


	5. What Comes After Safety

**Chapter 5! Wow, I took so long (for me) to write this! I got so caught up in my other fics and my inspiration for this one dried up! But, if I stop writing this... I would die! Oh, and in a few days, I'm gonna be stuck up in the mountains, where the most modern thing is the refrigerator. So that means no Internet.**  
**I do not own the Sand Sibs. Or ninja and Suna. All hail Kishimoto-sama!**

**...**

A few hours after Yuudai had left, Reina was sitting on the living room floor, surrounded in maps, scrolls and anything that could help her learn more about her other brother's death.  
She sighed, and waited impatiently for Yuudai's return, which would be in a few days. She hadn't found anything. Any place that the shipwreck, if there even was one left, could have washed up on. She had traced the rout of the boat and where the storm a few nights ago could have brought it.  
She was about to put the maps away when she noticed, not exactly on her hand drawn lines, a tiny little dot in the middle of the sea. Maybe...? She shrugged and circled it.  
Probably not, but you never know.

...

Sunlight made the insides of Gaara's eyelids a warm red color. He blinked them open and was blinded by rays of bright daylight.  
The first thing he saw was the face of an angel. Wait, that was Temari. She was staring intensely at his face and grinned when she saw that he was conscious.  
"... T-Temari."  
That was all Gaara was able to choke out. He was pretty sure that it only had little to do with the fact that his throat was killing him. What really bothered him was this question.  
How could she still be smiling after what had happened? The jinchuuriki had no idea what had occurred after his demon had taken over, but he was glad that his sister made it out alive. And that she had apparently already forgiven him for losing control.

"Shh... Everything is fine. Kankuro and I managed to knock Shukaku out. And... we are both mostly unharmed... If that matters to you." She bit her lip at the last part.  
"Hn... Speak for yourself."

Kankuro's voice came from right beside him. Gaara tried to turn his head to see his brother, but was irritated to find that he couldn't even move. Temari noticed.  
"Oh, right. After the Shukaku thing, I guess that your body is completely numb. I think that it should lasts quite a few hours. Here..." She gently picked up the boy's head and turned it slowly to the side so that he could see his brother.

What Gaara saw shocked him.  
Kankuro wasn't unharmed. He was sitting cross legged on his right, leaning against a tree, completely covered in bloody scratches, cuts and bruises. He looked exhausted.  
But that wasn't really it. Even in his state, Kankuro was grinning widely at him.  
"Welcome back little brother! How was dreamland?"  
Gaara gulped and tried to speak again.  
"H-... How long?"

"Don't worry. You've only been out for about half the day. We've just been waiting for you to wake up. You thirsty?"  
The red head blinked and tried to nod, but he couldn't. Temari understood.  
For a few moments, she disappeared from his view, and Gaara was blinded by the sun again, since his sister had been the one to shield him from the bright rays. He heard sloshing and soft steps, then he could see again. Temari smiled down at him, holding half a coconut.  
Gaara felt himself get lifted up to a sitting position by Kankuro, so that Temari could put the makeshift cup to his lips.

Water had never tasted so delicious in his entire life. Cool and calming. It soothed his burning throat right away.  
When he drained the entire cup, his sister chuckled.  
"Want more?" she asked in her soft voice.  
"I'm fine."

They all went silent for a couple moments. Kankuro moved Gaara so that the jinchuuriki's back was leaning against his chest, making it easier for him to support his weight.  
"What happened?" asked the young boy. Even if he couldn't see his brother's face, he was pretty sure that he exchanged a glance with Temari. They must have planned and rehearsed what they were going to say, to make sure that they said the right things.

"When Shukaku took over, we escaped. He caught up to us and Kankuro challenged him to a duel to buy me time to escape. When your brother got placated to a tree, I managed to punch the demon out. And then we brought you back here." explained Temari. Gaara noticed that she didn't describe how any of them were harmed or if they were hurt.  
"What damage did you receive?"  
"Surprisingly, not that much. I'm just _really _sore here and there. I guess Kankuro was roughed up a little more, since he pissed Shukaku off."  
"So... The blood on Kankuro? Did Shukaku cause it?"

He heard a chuckle from behind him.  
"Oh, this? Nah, I tripped and fell into a bush filled with thorns!"  
Kankuro tensed when he felt Gaara's aura clearly scream 'Don't lie to me again.' He sighed and answered for real.  
"Your demon wanted to kill me slowly, so he wanted to start by peeling my skin off. And I was coughing up blood for a couple hours. No big deal. Not much worse than the time Temari beat me up for calling her a sissy."  
Both Temari and Kankuro laughed at the memory. Gaara had an enormous urge to smile, but he just couldn't.

"So, You both... escaped from mortal wounds?"  
"Yep!" replied both his siblings at the same time.  
"Good." Temari gave Gaara a surprised look and he was pretty sure that Kankuro was doing the same. This was the first time that he had expressed any care for his siblings out loud.

"I... I'm..." Say it, thought Gaara to himself. How hard is it to apologize? Just say it. "... I'm glad that you are both alive."  
The jinchuuriki wanted to punch himself in the head. But, since he was unable to move, he had to renounce to that.  
"Thanks little bro! I'm sort of glad about that too!" laughed the puppet-nin. He shut up when Temari sent him a glare. The kunoichi then smiled lovingly at the red head.  
"Thank you. For caring. We care about you too. We always will." Gaara was going to say something, but got cut off when his sister leaned forwards and hugged him and Kankuro at the same time.

No body had ever hugged him before, and no one had ever touched him in any affectionate way before either. He wasn't very sure about how he felt about it.  
He saw his brother wrap his arms around Temari so that he was sandwiched between them. He wanted to hug them back, but was unable to move. So, he relaxed in his siblings' warm group hug, closed his eyes and prayed for this feeling of... _safety_ to stay forever. He had never felt this ever before. It felt so _nice_. If only he had grown up with this security around him, then, at this moment, he would have been able to return the embrace.

"Uh... Gaara?" The boy snapped open his eyes and saw that both of his siblings were smiling at him. And that they had moved away from him for quite some time now, but that he had been too absorbed with his thoughts to notice. He nearly blushed.  
"Yes?" he said as emotionlessly as possible, which wasn't a lot, since he had embarrassed himself for the first time in his life. Temari and Kankuro just chuckled and hugged their little brother, who was considering going into shock, again.

When they seperated again, everything went silent for a minute.  
"I'm sorry." it was Temari who spoke. Gaara frowned at this, what had she done? She seemed to read his mind.  
"For everything. For not defending you when we were small. For saying those things that hurt you. For punching you in the head."  
As if on cue, his head started throbbing in pain. He couldn't believe that Temari of all people could be sorry for anything. All she had done all this time was to do her best.  
"You tried." was all Gaara could say to express what he felt. It frustrated him, that he had spent so much time alone that he forgot how to share his feelings. At least he didn't risk getting hurt this way. But they understood him without him having to explain himself.

Gaara felt a dark presence in the back of his mind, indicating that Shukaku was still there. He hadn't tried to annoy the hell out of his container yet, so the red head concluded that the demon was sulking somewhere in his head for losing a battle to a bunch of humans.

Temari sighed, stood up and stretched her limbs. Then, she groaned in pain.  
"I don't know about you two boys, but I'm starving. None of us have eaten since yesterday morning. I'm going to go find that berry tree." Kankuro objected.  
"I'll go. I only have cuts and bruises, whilst your wounds are flesh deep. Plus, you over worked yourself today..."  
"The tree is right over there! I'm only going to walk and carry some back! No big deal!" With that, she turned and started limping out of the clearing. The puppet-nin couldn't stop her, since he couldn't just get up. He was already supporting his brother's weight.

When they were alone, it was awkward. Gaara was still leaning against his brother, so getting up and walking around was out. They had to just sit there until their sister returned.  
"Gaara... Thanks." The jinchuuriki was surprised, again, but this time by Kankuro.  
"What for?"  
"For, somehow, keeping Shukaku away from Temari. Remember last night? When I told you to go for me instead of her? Well, that's what happened, so, our sister was able to avoid death. Thank you."  
"Oh..." Gaara didn't remember telling his demon to keep away from the kunoichi. He just remembered blankness, and some of Shukaku's emotions: hatred, amusement, blood lust, annoyance, anger and fear. Because you always had to fear the outside world when you were a monster.  
But, he was as glad as Kankuro that Temari wasn't the one targeted. If it had been that way, he would now be sister-less and brother-less, since it had been Temari who had managed to defeat Shukaku.

A world without his siblings. An island of loneliness. He did not want that to happen, ever. He was finally happy to have people who willingly stayed by his side, even when he was possessed or useless. And, in these short days with them, he was pretty sure that he was unable to be separated from them. It would cause him too much pain.

...

"Found it!" Temari limped over to the tree that would provide her with food for her family and herself. She was glad that the branches were low, because she was pretty sure that she wouldn't be able to climb these and come down holding things.  
"Shoot! I don't have anything to carry them back in!" said the kunoichi out loud. Finding nothing that could be useful, she used the folded bottom of her shirt to carry the berries. She had no idea what they were, even with her wide knowledge about plants. They had small pouches filled with juice but looked a lot like sponges. If she remembered well, Yashamaru had brought some back from the Land of Fire for her mother, before she was even pregnant with Gaara.

Temari was suddenly hit with a wave of nostalgia. She missed her mother. Especially now, when she was caring for her two brothers. If she had been here, she would have known exactly what to do. She might have tried to rescue us from this place, bring us back home and cook for us, tuck us into bed, hug us goodnight, thought the girl.  
Temari then realized that, the only possible us would have been Kankuro and herself, since the Kazekage's wife had died giving birth to her youngest brother. It had never been Gaara's fault thought. It was her thrice damned father, for treating the jinchuuriki like a monster, not a son, when he was the one who originally made him this way. Plus, after Gaara's birth, he had started treating all three of them like worthless crap. Her guess was that he didn't like reminders of his failure walking around his village. Failure as a husband. Failure as a Kazekage. Failure as a father. Temari didn't miss him.  
Or Yashamaru either. He might have been the perfect uncle when Karura was alive, showering his precious sister's adorable kids with gifts, playing with them on those days where they were all alone. But then he had turned distant, evil. She could never forgive that guy for what he had done to them. He deserved to have bone crushing, painful and sure hell death. And he had.

When the front of her shirt was full of edible berries, she limped back to the camp.  
She found her two brothers like she had left them, on the ground, silent. She made her way over to them, sat down and tried to feed Gaara, who couldn't move a finger. He outright glared at her.  
"No... way..." he growled through gritted teeth. Temari could understand why he reacted this way. Gaara didn't want to be so helpless that he needed someone to bring food to his mouth. Plus, no brother wants his sister feeding him. But, the kunoichi could see that he was starving. She frowned and tried to ignore the invisible daggers that his eyes were throwing at her.  
"Gaara. Please, not now. You need to eat, and since you can't move, there is no other way."  
"No."  
"If you don't eat, you're gonna starve. If you want, Kankuro can feed you. But there is no telling where his hands have been."

This made the jinchuuriki think about it. Then, he accepted the berries Temari fed him. The kunoichi chuckled when it was the puppet-nin's turn to glare at her.  
"Gee, sis, since my hands are so gross, I'm not gonna touch the food. You'll just have to feed my too." Kankuro opened his mouth expectantly.  
Temari's brow twitched as she jammed a handful of food into his mouth, making him gag and slowly eat the berries one by one to avoid choking. The kunoichi started laughing at she stared at Kankuro's pissed look. He gulped down the last fruit and started coughing.  
"You idiot! I could have died-... What the _hell_is so funny?" Temari was still in a giggling fit, pointing to the red juices mustaches on her brother's face.  
"He he he! You look like that creepy clown that once came to Suna!" Kankuro grumbled a bit then started eating more berries.

The rest of their small meal continued in silence. Temari would feed Gaara as well as herself.  
They didn't need to talk much. They felt comfortable like this, and didn't want to talk about what had happened before and during the time Shukaku possessed Gaara. Especially not that.  
They had come to a silent agreement that it was the past, that it was an accident and that they would put the memories of the fear, their threatened lives, behind them.

When they finished, Kankuro sighed.  
"I need to finish at least _some_ of this shelter. I can't do most of this stuff alone... I'm gonna get started on the surrounding wall. I can't make the door, I only have one pair of hands."  
Temari nodded and gently held Gaara in her arms so that the puppet-nin could get up and get to work.  
"Good thing you got all this wood Gaara! If you hadn't, the shelter would probably still be at this stage for a couple days." After a few surprised blinks from the jinchuuriki, Kankuro grinned and started to work on the fence that would keep his two siblings from harm at night.

...

By the time Kankuro had finished, the sun was low in the sky. Temari and Gaara had watched their brother as he turned a couple branches and chunks of wood into a solid fence, and making small talk from time to time.  
"Finally! Now, admire the master's talent!" The puppet-nin grinned and jumped over the fence to where his siblings were sitting. They both looked from Kankuro and their shelter in admiration. "Gaara, how are you doing?"

The jinchuuriki shrugged a little and lifted his right arm up until it was at the same height at his chest, before letting it fall to his side.  
"Numb, but better."  
"Alright. Come on, I'll take you guys inside. It's getting dark." he scooped Gaara up in his arms and walked back into their small makeshift house, followed by Temari. The puppet-nin leaned his brother against the cave wall and they sat in a small circle. For a few minutes, the siblings sat under their roof, protected by walls and let the feeling of safety pour in.

"So... Oh, I have an idea! If you now could have something, what would it be?" asked Temari, trying to start a conversation. Kankuro smirked.  
"Karasu. A shirt. A kunai. Some rope. Another pair of underpants. My kabuki paint. A blanket. A pillow. A bed..." The kunoichi sent him a withering look. "... How does a hug sound?"  
Temari grinned and pulled her two brother into another embrace.  
"Gaara, what would you want?" The red head thought about it for a moment. A few days ago, he would have wanted blood. But, his siblings had forgiven him for the things that he didn't have the guts to apologize for, they still trusted him. He had the only two people in this world that he cared about with him, what more could he want?  
"An umbrella." both of his siblings chuckled at that. "Temari?"

The kunoichi shifted and smiled sheepishly.  
"Something to eat that isn't berries. I'm starting to miss Suna's cooks."  
Suddenly, Kankuro jumped to his feet and started walking out the open doorway.  
"Where are you going?"  
The boy turned around and smiled at his sister.  
"I'm going to find what you want. I can't get our village's chefs, but I'm gonna try to find something. Shouldn't be that hard."  
"Kankuro! It's nearly night time! Don't be dumb! I was just kidding!" exclaimed Temari, not wanting him to wander around alone.  
"Don't worry about me. You two, don't move. I'll be back. I promise."

With that, he hopped over the fence and ran into the forest. Temari sighed in exasperation. Neither she or Gaara could ran after him to stop him, since they were both in a pretty bad shape.  
"He makes rash decisions." The kunoichi nodded in agreement before moving herself so that she was sitting her back to the wall, next to Gaara.  
"Will he come back?"  
"Gaara, of course he will. He's just going to look for food. He probably won't go very far. I mean, which idiot would get himself lost on an island at night searching for something to eat?" The moment the words left Temari's mouth, a very bad feeling invaded her soul, as if she had just cursed her brother. She shook her head and tried to find a more comfortable position to sit in. Kankuro wasn't an idiot. He would come back in no time.  
He had promised, after all.

...

When Temari woke up, she was leaning against Gaara, her head on his shoulder. She sleepily rubbed her eyes, and listened to the sound of the rain drumming on the roof of their shelter.  
The only light available was the gleam of the moon through the water pouring from the skies. Her brother felt so tense, and she guessed that it was because of the storm, since he couldn't stand water.  
"Gaara? For how long have I been asleep?" The jinchuuriki was silent for a moment before he replied in a whisper, barely audible with the noise of rain coming from outside.  
"Three or four hours." The kunoichi opened her mouth in shock. She had fallen asleep before Kankuro had come back. She glanced around their house but couldn't see much in the darkness.

"Did that idiot come back while I was dreaming?" Gaara stared blankly into the pouring rain, the void of the night and the cold, outside of their safety. He shakily, uncertainly, put an arm around Temari's shoulders and pulled her closer to him, wordlessly answering her question.

**...**

**Suspense! I'm sorry guys! I know that I'm so mean! But it's less suspenseful as my other idea.**  
**I had another ending for this chapter, but when I thought that idea over, I got so freaked because it was 'chill all the blood in my body three times over' kind of creepy. So, you guys can sleep at night. I'm gonna keep this story in it's category, and not lace any pure horror in there. **  
**You guys have no idea what 'alternate ending' I'm rambling about? Trust me, you do not want to know. I'm gonna get nightmares because of my own thoughts, how weird is that?**  
**OK, I know that I took terribly long for this chapter, but I would really love it if you'd review!  
Thank you to Tiger and Lily Mistresses, Gaaras1Girl, Azhamaria, AkatsukIxGirl, Uchikazesis235, the girl in your closet, ArisonxGaara, Holly-Batali, XxOngakuxX and PWN3D for their review to this story.  
~~~XOXOHimekoUchia**


	6. The Promise of Hope

**Oh my god, I'm so sorry that this took so long! I hope that I didn't lose anyone! I just didn't have the possibility, time and inspiration for this!** **OK, so I will give you this chapter now! Thank you for not sending any hate mail and stuff!** **I own Naruto *sees lawyers walking towards her*! Um... Just kidding! Don't sue me! I can't pay you! I hope that you enjoy this!  
*edited**

* * *

"Keep moving!" shouted the squad leader through the rain.  
It was so rare for it to rain, even if they were already out of the desert and into the forest. Yuudai groaned out loud as he felt the ache in his limbs. They hadn't stopped to rest even once in the last ten or so hours. It wasn't that bad, but he just wasn't used to be the traveling type. But, at least, at this rate, this took a day out of the searching. They would arrive sooner, and he hoped that he could start getting answers.

* * *

Still staring at the pouring rain outside, Temari let the thoughts sink in. Kankuro didn't come back. Her brother didn't come back.  
"No. No, no, no! Please no! KANKURO! Where are you?" screamed the kunoichi into the darkness. The only reply that came was the storm, crashing and thundering.

Temari scrambled up to her feet and ran into the night, ignoring Gaara who called her back.

The girl let the rain soak her clothes and hair, as the drops of water slowly merged with her tears. She felt cold, terrified and extremely sick with worry. If she felt that way, how was Kankuro feeling right now, alone?  
"Kankuro... Come back." She whispered into the void. "Idiot. Damn Idiot... COME BACK YOU IDIOT!"  
She was too late.

Temari sank to her knees into the wet sand, sobbing into her hands. Her little brother was out there.  
"Please, be alright. Alive." prayed the kunoichi. For this was all she could do for him. Pray.

She wanted to run after him, to find and bring him back safely. But she could hardly move. And she couldn't just leave Gaara here.  
"Temari." She felt arms wrap around her torso, pull her to her feet and slowly drag her back into the shelter. The shelter that Kankuro had built to keep them safe, whilst he was somewhere out there.

Gaara placed his shaking sister back into a sitting position against the back of the cave. All the water from her hair, clothes and tears fell onto the dry sand.

Temari banged the back of her head onto the wall, crying out in pain. The pain in her heart.  
She stared at the rocky ceiling for a few minutes, trying to force the helpless blank in her mind to turn into a solution. It didn't. She tried to calm herself by taking long, unsteady breaths. The kunoichi squeezed her eyes shut, mentally begging all of this to be just a horrible, horrible nightmare.

The sound of someone sitting down next to her drew her back into reality. Temari turned, trembling and saw her red headed brother. Her eyes widened in shock.  
The jinchuuriki was fixating the moon, his wet hair plastered to the side of his pale face, his soaked clothes stuck to his skin. He, very obviously, looked extremely uncomfortable. He had just made himself vulnerable to make sure that she was safe.  
"Gaara..." murmured the girl, her gaze not leaving the boy sitting beside her.

Her brother turned to look at her. His emotionless, cold eyes met her desperate, terrified ones. Temari let more tears leak down her cheeks.  
"Oh, Gaara..." the kunoichi dropped her forehead onto the boy's thin shoulder. "I'm so sorry... I shouldn't have let him go."  
She started crying onto her already soaking wet brother. She expected the jinchuuriki to push her away or yell at her for being weak. Instead, Gaara placed a shaky hand on her back, trying to comfort his sister. Something that he had never once done before.  
Gaara honestly didn't really know what he was doing. He was just doing what he had seen his siblings do for each other before. If it helped his sister stop crying, he would do anything, because it unnerved him to see the usually tough kunoichi melt like this.

Temari gulped as her heart twinged in pain again. More tears spilled over. She threw both of her arms around her brother, pulling him close to her. She needed to be sure that he was here. That at least one of her brothers was safe. The red head let his sister hold him in her arms for a moment.  
"Temari, I..." The kunoichi looked up at Gaara's blank face. "I can't breathe."  
Widening her eyes, Temari let go of her brother.

She pressed her back against the wall of the cave again. What was Gaara thinking? Did he care?  
"Temari. He will come back." the girl barely heard her brother's whisper above the sound of the rain outside.  
"He... he will?"  
"He has to. He promised..."

Temari bit her lip and but managed to hold back the next wave of tears.  
"Gaara... I don't know..." her voice trailed off. Suddenly, Gaara's head snapped towards her, his once empty eyes filled with anger.  
"He has to. He _promised._" he repeated. The kunoichi let her own eyes meet Gaara's. She put a shaky smile onto her face.  
"If something bad has happened to our brother... Even the fact that he has promised won't bring him back Gaara."

The boy's sea green orbs blinked once, twice, before turning cold again.  
"Does that mean that... Kankuro lied, again?" he asked, venom lacing his voice. His face was blank, but at this moment, Temari saw her little brother's entire soul.

His strength and power, his control and intimidating side. But she also saw Gaara. The boy had spent his entire childhood validating his existence through killing. The boy who now feared, more than anything, being abandoned by his siblings. The soaking wet red head who didn't understand that one simple promise didn't didn't guarantee that his older brother was alright, or even alive. He just didn't understand anything anymore.

One more tear leaked down the kunoichi's face.  
"No. Kankuro didn't lie this time. He just... couldn't fulfill his promise." she whispered just loud enough to be heard over the outside noise. Gaara looked at her with a thousand questions in his eyes. He seemed to hesitate about which one to ask.  
"Is this... what it means to... love? To make promises that can't always keep just to make one happy? To worry when he is gone?"  
Every word he said burned with emotion. Fear. Concern. Confusion. Temari almost didn't recognize his voice.  
"I guess that is part of love. Love is also protecting your precious people. To make sure that they are alright. To want to make them smile, just for the heck of seeing their grin. To want to hold them forever, just to know that they are there, safe in your arms."

The kunoichi looked down at her empty arms. She wanted to hold onto Gaara and Kankuro so bad. But she could not even do that, hug her brothers, because one of them had disappeared. Gaara seemed deep in thought. He shifted his body so that it was facing the darkness coming through the open doorway.  
"Temari... Do you think that he will come back?"

The kunoichi wanted to know that answer as well.  
"I don't know Gaara. I just really, really hope so." she finally replied. She felt her little brother shiver next to her. The cold night air bit at their wet skin like sharp needles. At least they had a little warmth from each other. If only Kankuro had that too.

* * *

The walls of the small cave were as cold as ice. Kankuro couldn't feel his arms, legs and bare back anymore. His whole body shook violently as more rain spilled into the rocky shelter.

"D-damn it!" muttered the puppet-nin holding his promise close to himself. He had finally found something for Temari after about an hour, but the rain had started pouring down so fast that in two minutes, he realized that he had lost himself. He considered himself lucky that he had found a small space to stay in, but it didn't exactly protect him from the freezing night air. Or all the rain for that matter. He should have tried to find his way back before the thundering had started. But now, he was stuck here, numb and alone.  
"Stupid! You're an idiot Kankuro! D-did you really think th-that it would let up so qu-quickly? You already forgot about th-that huge storm th-that landed us here?" he muttered to himself.

Is Temari worried? Is _Gaara _worried? Were both of them safe? I hope that they didn't leave the shelter and stayed in it like I told them to, thought the boy. What are they doing right now? Are they both anxiously waiting for my return? Will I make it back alive or freeze to death here?

He was exhausted but fought to keep his eyelids open. He was starting to wonder if he should just try to make a run for it. But go which way? He couldn't even see in all this darkness. Maybe he was actually dreaming all of this? He turned sideways, pressing his leg to the icy cave wall.

"Ouch!" winced Kankuro. "Nope, this is d-definitely real!"  
He sighed and started to think out loud some more.  
"I hope that they s-stick together. And th-that it's a little warmer! R-rain? Nah, the ceiling is w-water proof... I'm good. Crap! I'm r-really losing it! W-why am I t-talking out loud again? Is th-that really how my v-voice sounds? I s-sound s-so freaked out! Ow... I can't f-feel my toes, a-among other th-things. I'm b-beat. Damn it! I can't c-close my eyes! I'll d-die! I'm t-too handsome to die! Mh..." He drew in a sharp breath, the cold burning his throat. He coughed and gasped at the pain. He pressed his head against the wall of the cave, holding his items even closer to himself.

After a few more hours of fighting with the icy night, fear and complete exhaustion, Kankuro felt himself drift into unconsciousness. He muttered a curse as his eyes closed and his head fell to the side.

* * *

"Hmm... Kankuro... Come back..." whispered Temari into Gaara shoulder. The jinchuuriki looked down at his sister, relieved that she had managed to go back to sleep.  
What is sleep like? thought Gaara. Why do people talk in their sleep? Do they dream about things they want? Or things they love and need?  
When the kunoichi shivered, the red head slowly rubbed her back trying to warm her. What more could he do? He was freezing himself. But he didn't want to simply let the girl be. It would be the wrong thing to do.  
After a couple moments, Gaara shakily stood up, picking up Temari with him. He placed the sleeping girl on her makeshift bed.

This must be warmer than the cave wall, or my wet arms, he thought.  
"Gaara... please... Kankuro..." The jinchuuriki stiffened at the mention of his name. He looked at Temari's sleeping face.  
What had Yashamaru said about dreams? Dreams... where the wishes that the heart made...  
Gaara had only had daydreams about a world where people loved him, up until his uncle tried to kill him. Why was his sister dreaming of him?  
"Please! Please come back!"

Gaara flinched. She sounded so... desperate. Helpless. He was suddenly glad to be able to escape the nightmares brought by sleep. It sounded horribly painful and his real life was bad enough.  
He sighed and did something that he hoped he would never have to do again.

_Shukaku? Listen up you demon! I need you help. _yelled the jinchuuriki mentally.

He heard some grumbling and a few not-so-muttered curses.

**_What the...? Oh, it's you. I can't believe this! I almost had them to! This sissy girl managed to defeat me! This sucks..._**

_Shut up and stop complaining. It's not my fault that you aren't stronger than a wounded teenage girl! I don't want to risk you hurting them again, but I need you to do something for me..._

**Hell no. As if I'm going to help you after you've been denying me blood!**

_Shukaku... I'm going to use your power whether you help me or not. So quit bitching!_

Everything went silent in Gaara's head. For a moment, he almost thought that his demon went back to a dormant stage. He was going to call it again but it spoke up first.

**I officially hate you.**

The jinchuuriki nearly smiled. So... that was taken care of. Gaara was going to turn towards the dark void of the outside world when he heard Temari shift.  
"Nh... I hope so..." she mumbled. To the red head's relief, she was still very much asleep. After a moment of deliberating, he pulled off his damp shirt and wrung it out as well as he could. He sprinkled the warmest sand he could find over his sister before placing his shirt over the thin layer of minerals. There, that should keep her at least a little warmer.

He thought again for another moment. What would Temari do if she woke up and she was completely alone? She already freaked when one of her brothers disappeared. It would be unfair of him to simply disappear.  
Gaara stretched his sand out and engraved a message into the cave wall with his sand.  
There. Now he didn't have to feel as concerned for her anymore.

Then, he took in Shukaku's power, but only enough to heighten his senses to an extreme level. One of the advantages of being a jinchuuriki was that he could now feel the presence of chakra a crazy distance away. He felt Temari's calm and peaceful chakra signature right beside him. He pushed it away so that he could search further around the island. There! Far away, but not as far as he expected, was a tiny flicker of energy. It was so weak and pitiful that Gaara feared the very worse, but it was definitely there. Kankuro's chakra.

Glancing backwards once more at his sleeping sister, Gaara ran out of the shelter, into the darkness and the rain. The night engulfed him but he kept running, remembering the message he left to his sister.

_I promise to bring our brother back. Keep warm. Never lose hope._

* * *

All that Gaara could hear was the rain, the thunder and the sound of his heartbeat. He was being insane. This was dangerous. But he already knew that.  
Sacrifice for the ones you love. That was how it was supposed to be.

No matter how much this endangered his existence, part of him wanted to do this. He wanted to see Temari and Kankuro's smile again. He wanted to feel safe in their embrace. He had hope that he could do this, because every breath he drew and every second that passed drew him closer and closer still to his older brother.

After about forty minutes of running, Gaara wasn't surprised that he hadn't frozen or passed out. Stamina was part of being a jinchuuriki, and he had never known it otherwise. However, it was still raining as much as before, if not harder. A few days ago, being soaking wet would have terrified the red head, but not anymore. Granted, he still didn't like it at all, but he now knew that around his siblings, he wouldn't have to keep his armour or shield of sand up. He knew that he was safer than he had ever been.  
They didn't try to kill him.  
They just smiled.

Gaara easily avoided every tree in his way, even in this complete darkness, through which the jinchuuriki could see in as well as if it were daylight. After a few moments, Kankuro's chakra signature was right in front of him, but he couldn't see anyone.  
"Kankuro?" called out the red head. He knew that nobody would answer, because judging by the intensity of his brother's chakra, he would be extremely surprised if he were even conscious.

The jinchuuriki looked around himself, until his eyes rest on a small opening in the side of a hill. He ran up to it and squeezed easily through the hole. He flinched as he touched the stone. It was even colder that the rain. His eyes scanned the space.

Bunched up in a small corner was Kankuro. Ignoring the cold, Gaara went up to his brother and felt his face. Freezing, pale, unhealthy.  
The red head pressed his ear to the puppet-nin's chest. He heard a faint, dull heartbeat.  
Kankuro was alive, but only just.

Even if Gaara was shorter than his brother, he didn't have too much difficulty to lift him onto his back. When he did, a small package fell to the floor.  
Carefully, the young boy unfolded the large leaves that wrapped up a bunch of bananas and a few eggs that were padded with moss to avoid breaking. And they were still fully intact. Gaara folded the leaves back together and took the food and his brother back out into the rain.  
The jinchuuriki closed his eyes, concentrated and located Temari's chakra. He started running towards home, using his sister's energy as his beacon.

Home. Gaara had never thought of their little camp as home. But, he was starting to feel it. He heard people say that home is where your entire family is. It's where you laugh, cry and did embarrassing things just because you could. In his shelter was where the people he cared about were. Where his companions cared for him, smiled at him and shared thoughts. Maybe, _that_ was home.

* * *

Temari woke up with a groan. She turned over in her bed and pulled the cover over her head. She suddenly sat up, shocked.  
Since when was she asleep in her bed of sand and leaves? And why was Gaara's shirt draped over her sand covered body?  
The kunoichi hastily wiped the sand off and looked around in the darkness. "Gaara?"

No reply.

"GAARA!"

Temari panicked and stood up, only to fall onto the floor again. The girl groaned and pressed her hand against the wall to sit up.  
She felt something rough. Were these letters? Did Gaara carve this?  
She rubbed the stone and tried to make out the words. _P. R. O. M... Promise._  
Temari felt her blood chill as she tried to decipher the rest of the message. _... Promise to bring our brother back. Keep warm. Never lose hope._

Something in her heart snapped as she remembered her brother's words only to clearly.  
_"Is this... what it means to... love? To make promises that can't always keep just to make one happy?"  
_Temari slowly sat up against the wall of the cave. Then, she shakily pulled her knees up to her chest before resting her head on them. Tears burned at her eyelids, but nothing came out. She wanted to scream and sob, but it looked as if her voice was stuck as well. The only sound she made was her unsteady, ragged breaths.

"Temari..."

The kunoichi put her hands to her head. Voices in her head... They sounded so much like Gaara. What she wouldn't give to get her two brothers back. If only she had outright told Gaara and Kankuro at least once how much she loved them. If only she had stopped Kankuro and Gaara. If only...

"Temari! Can you help? Kankuro is heavy."

She snapped her head up and stared at the shadow standing in front of the entrance of the shelter. It wasn't her imagination. He was really there. Gaara was there with Kankuro. Gaara had gone out and brought their brother back. This time, the kunoichi didn't have any problems crying.

Temari stood up and walked up to her brothers. She silently trailed her fingers down Kankuro's shoulder and down the side of Gaara's face. He flinched at the touch, but didn't say anything. The kunoichi helped her brother lay Kankuro's unconscious form onto his make-shift bed. The second that the red headed boy stood up, his sister pulled him into hug, crying over his shoulder.  
"Temari... Why are you crying? Aren't you happy?" asked a confused Gaara. The blond chuckled and sniffled before answering his questions.  
"I'm crying _because _I'm happy Gaara... I've never been so worried in my life. To find that both of you are fine... Gaara, you are the craziest, most messed up person I know... Thank you so much. I love you so, _so_ much little brother."

She felt Gaara tense at her words. Then, she slowly hugged him tighter, glad that he didn't pull away or react badly.  
After a moment, Temari got that Gaara had no idea what to say.  
She let go of him, smiled for the first time in half a day and pulled the red head towards Kankuro. She kneeled down next to him, felt his forehead and lost her smile immediately.

"He has fever! We have to warm him up!" She touched the rest of Kankuro's body. As frozen as ice. She bit her lip. He was in a terrible condition.  
She would have to act fast. She felt around the ground for something to dry him off. She sighed, frustrated at the darkness. Gaara nudged something between her fingers.  
It was his shirt, that he had used as a cover for her. She smiled again at the jinchuuriki and cleaned the water off Kankuro as well as she could. Temari, remembering her first aid lessons, removed her still damp shirt, lied down next to her brother and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close.

"What are you doing?" asked Gaara, curiosity clear in his voice.  
"It's the fastest way to cure the fever. Body heat." explained the kunoichi.

After a few minutes of silence, the jinchuuriki silently grabbed his shirt, dried himself before lying down on the other side of Kankuro, mimicking his sister's movements. Temari grinned to herself. She had never imagined falling asleep in an embrace like this, but she was happy.  
She wasn't so sure why, there were so many reasons, but she just was.

* * *

Kankuro felt safe and warm. He yawned loudly and tried to roll onto his side, only to find out that he couldn't. His eyes snapped open and daylight poured in. He looked to his right and was surprised to find Temari asleep, snuggled up close to him.  
He looked to his left and, to his extreme shock this time, he saw Gaara lying there, with his eyes closed peacefully. When the jinchuuriki heard his gasp, he slowly lifted his eyelids up and gazed at Kankuro with a blank expression but green eyes filled with relief.

"You are awake." said the younger boy.  
"Yes, I am awake. I do not remember much. What is all this about?" This was what the puppet-nin wanted to say, but all that came out was : "..."  
Kankuro slowly sat up and and crawled over to the other side of the shelter, waking Temari in the process. He sat down and gave both of his siblings a strange look.

"Kankuro! You're awake! Idiot! Do you know how..." She stopped talking when Kankuro looked at her with huge, dumbed out eyes.  
"Temari... Gaara... What the hell happened?" asked Kankuro shakily. His siblings looked at each other for a few seconds, wondering what was wrong with their brother. He was acting... wacked out, even for him. Gaara looked at back at the puppet-nin and slowly answered his question.  
"You didn't return, even after you promised."

Kankuro stared at both of them for a minutes or two.  
"Oh yeah... The storm, I remember now. But, what I meant was... Why _the hell_ are we all sitting here _half naked_?"  
Temari groaned and face palmed herself, Gaara gave his brother a damn-you-did-not-just-go-there look. Then, the kunoichi started laughing out loud.

"Nope, you're fine. So... After you left, scaring us half to death by the way, and didn't return, Gaara snuck out and saved your ass. You had hypothermia, so we had to share body heat to keep you alive. Which explains why I'm shirtless..."  
Temari glared at Kankuro for the last part and slipped her ripped shirt back on.  
"Urg, I have to fix our clothes when I find out how..." The older boy blinked a couple dozen times.

"I past out in that stupid cave... Wait, Gaara? You saved me? How did you do it? It was thundering outside!"  
"I tracked your chakra signature down and carried you back. I cannot get hypothermia because of Shukaku, so I didn't risk anything-..." replied the jinchuuriki before getting cut off by his sister.  
"I can't believe you left all alone! You're crazy I tell you! It was so dangerous..."  
The red headed boy shrugged and looked at the floor.

Kankuro contemplated this scene in front of his. He was alive. His psychotic murderer of a little bro saved his life. And he didn't even have to...  
"Thank you. I owe you Gaara." grinned the puppet-nin. Temari smiled and Gaara looked confuse but happy.  
He just couldn't smile back though.  
As if he had forgotten how to.

A few minutes passed in silence. Kankuro broke it.  
"Gaara... Do you know where-..."  
"Yes."  
Temari stared curiously at their little exchange. The red head walked over to the corner of the room and came back with a little package between his hands.

"Ne, what's that?" asked the kunoichi indicating the bundle. Kankuro stood up and started walking outside.  
"That, my dearest sister, is breakfast! I promised to bring you something to eat, remember? Oh, by the way... I'm _not_ cooking..."

* * *

**Aren't you happy that I posted it! Yes, I do like Sandsib fluff moments! Don't kill me! I'm a normal teenage girl!** **Please review even if I don't deserve it!** **Thank you to all me reviewers! You guys know who you are! I won't type everyone out and just give you this chapter faster!** **Peace out!** **XOXO ~~~HimekoUchia, authoress, Naruto otaku.**


	7. My Sister's Smile

**OK, I guess that I took ****a ridiculous amount of time**** to update. *guilty chuckle*... Sorry. ****I started my third year of secondary a couple of weeks so I was pretty busy. ****But the chapter is out, and that is all that counts right? ****Oh, and this chapter is a lot more lighthearted than the last one, that was sort of dark.**  
**I do not own anything. Not Naruto, not Gaara, not Kankuro, not Temari, not Suna, not the hot the chocolate I'm drinking. It's my mom's, technically. I only half own the random ninja I put in, since I never made jonin****s****ups. Kishimoto-sama did, so all credit goes to him! *crazy cheers and applauds as spotlight turns towards the Kishimoto, who is dressed in a ninja outfit*... Damn, where did that come from? **…

"We have arrived!" yelled out the squad leader, stopping abruptly in front of a cliff.  
The dozen or so ninja with him slowly walked over to the edge of it and cautiously leaned over. The waves crashed loudly underneath them, making white foam appear all over the surface of the ocean.  
"You may rest!" Ordered the top jonin, sitting down and setting up a camp. Yuudai sighed in relief and slumped to the floor. They had not rested at all in the past two days. Granted, it had cut half a day off their trip, but now they were all exhausted.  
"Make sure that you don't waste your energy! The searching will start as soon as possible!"

...

Kankuro and Gaara sat silently around their sister as she started making their breakfast. The reason she was cooking was simple : Kankuro and Gaara were both probably capable of burning water. It's not that they were clumsy, they were very good at doing things. Like killing, for example. Or Kankuro could handle wood like a professional.  
But when it came to the kitchen, none of the three siblings were experienced. They have lived their whole lives being served by their father's cooks.  
However, Temari was probably the most patient and practical out of the trio.

The kunoichi started a fire and placed a flat rock on top of it, so that she could fry the eggs that her brother had brought back for her.  
"Aw, damn..." sighed Temari, poking the eggs with a stick to make sure that they weren't burning too much. She had grilled the tip of the wood before using it, since ingesting a virus in the middle of the ocean was probably the most inconvenient thing that could happen.  
Kankuro raised his head sleepily and quirked an eyebrow at her.  
"What is it?" he asked, concerned.

His sister sighed and looked back down at the frying eggs. She was lost in her thoughts for a moment, wondering how she could put this.  
"I don't know why I realized this now but... In that shipwreck, we lost all that we had. All our stuff... weapons, clothes, books, sewing needles... _proper cooking utensils_." She said through clenched teeth as she stared down at the miserable twig between her hands. "All we have now is our shelter and what's left of our clothes. That we have been wearing for, like, what? Five days?"  
"Three." corrected Gaara, who was staring at the sand under his feet.

Kankuro and Temari both blinked in shock.  
"Seriously? Only three days have passed since the accident? How is that possible? Hmm.. Yeah, three nights, counting the one when we ended up here. So this is only the third day? Wow. So much has happened, it doesn't even seem real." mumbled the puppet-nin, looking up at the sun above his head. Only three days... The words echoed soundlessly around the clearing.

"Temari? Kankuro?" Gaara broke the silence.  
"Yes? What is it?" Smiled the kunoichi encouragingly, walking over to a tree with large leaves and ripping three off. She was glad that the young boy was starting to voice his opinions more, especially since they weren't death threats.  
The jinchuuriki seemed to hesitate for a moment before asking the question that all of them had in their hearts, but didn't have the guts to say out loud.  
"Are we going to be stuck here forever?" whispered the the young red headed boy, his gaze shifting around to observe his siblings' reactions.

Kankuro shrugged and looked down at his feet. Temari bit her lip and used her stick to push a couple not-so-burned eggs onto a leaf and handing one to each of her brothers.  
"Maybe. Maybe not. But, since we are here now, we might as well do the best we can, right? So that we can live properly in case nobody finds us." She gulped at the last part. "Thanks to Kankuro, we now have the most important thing: a roof over our heads. The next step is probably kitchen wear, since eating this egg without chopsticks will be messy."

Temari demonstrated by picking a piece of her food, slightly burning her fingers in the process, and popping it into her mouth. She grinned at the taste.  
"Finally! None berry food! Thank you, Kankuro. For bringing this stuff back."

Everybody ate their small meal, and grabbed a few bananas from the bundle. When they finished, they sat in a circle and all thought for a few moments.  
Temari drew circles in the sand before talking.  
"I could try to repair our clothes. What do you guys think you could do?" she said.  
Kankuro scratched the back of his head before raising his hand, earning strange looks from his siblings.  
"I could be in charge of getting food!"  
"NO!" shouted Temari and Gaara at the same time, shutting the startled puppet-nin up.

Temari sighed and tapped her chin.  
"Maybe Gaara should be in charge of finding things, since he has a great sense of direction. Unlike _some_ people, who manage to get _lost_. I'll cook. Kankuro, why don't you work on making things with your hands? You did a great job with the shelter." She pointed out. Both of her brothers nodded.

Kankuro grinned and jumped to his feet.  
"Alright! What should I make first?" he asked cheerfully, as if he hadn't nearly died the night before.  
"It's a toss up between a sewing needle or kitchen wear." answered Temari.

Every cricket chirp and leaf rustle was heard for three minutes in the clearing, as the silence roamed.  
"Uh... I can try but, that won't be easy without a kunai or something." sighed Kankuro.  
"Ahh... OK, forget it then. What do you guys want to do now?" asked Temari.  
"I'll just fix up the door. Come on Gaara, I need you help." mumbled the puppet-nin.

Before the jinchuuriki could stand up, the kunoichi was already smacking the back of Kankuro's head.  
"Idiot! You nearly died of hypothermia last night! You need more rest! Just tell me how to do this thingy!" Yelled Temari, trying to push her brother back into a sitting position, who just looked horrified.  
"No way! You cannot touch my work of art! Besides, you are in no better condition than me! Your limbs are still healing from the glass cuts! Which reminds me, we've got to check those to make sure that they aren't infected yet!" shouted the puppet-nin, who was trying to wrestle his sister back to the floor, like she was doing.  
"My wounds are fine! I'm a ninja! I can deal with this!" hollered the kunoichi, who looked as if she would happily knock the living daylights out of Kankuro.  
"I'm a ninja too!"  
"No, you're a crappy ninja who plays with dolls!"  
"Puppets! And looks who's talking, fan-girl!"  
"Zip it and go lie down and heal!"  
"No, you go lie down and I'll finish the door!"

After a few more seconds of their bickering, Gaara had had it. He growled menacingly, making both of his siblings shut up immediately.  
In one small glance of agreement between Temari and Kankuro, all three of them started fixing up a door for their little home together.

...

The three teenagers stood back and admired their work.  
"... I can't believe that it took us so damn long to do this!" moaned Kankuro. The sun was shining brightly above their heads, bathing the wooden shelter door in light.  
"What? I think that it's not to bad. We did a good job." said Temari cheerfully.  
"We? Temari, you 'accidentally' _broke_the door twice! Gaara had to get a crazy amount of wood just for one miserable little creation! But it _is_nice, isn't it?" grinned the puppet-nin giving both his siblings a pat on the shoulder. The kunoichi stood and looked proud of herself but Gaara seemed slightly nervous.

"Kankuro... The door has..." started the jinchuuriki before getting interrupted when his sister skipped over to the shelter and poked the side of their masterpiece.

The door crumbled comically into a heap of twigs and branches. There was an awkward silence for a few minutes as all three of them stared at the remains of their hard work.  
"Did any of you notice a missing piece in it or something?" whispered Kankuro, who looked at the brink of ranting for another half hour about stupid mistakes in the art of wood creations.

The silence went on for a second before Gaara slowly raised his hand.  
"I'm not getting any more wood for you idiots." He said flatly, pointing to all the small heaps of wood in front, behind and beside them, all dead memories of their first, second, and now third try at making the simple door.  
"Uh huh... Fine. Just let me do it this time. Temari... Why don't you find some more of those berries so that we can make a bigger meal with what's left of the stuff I brought back?" suggested Kankuro, standing protectively in front of the shelter, glaring at his sister, daring her to come close to his 'precious baby' of a wooden house.

The kunoichi rolled her eyes and crossed her arms with a huff.  
"Sheesh. It wasn't me this time. I am not going to..." She suddenly gulped when Gaara sent her a pissed look. She started backing away slowly. "You know what? I'm going to get those berries whilst you two do the work. See ya."  
With that she turned away and half ran into the trees, grabbing a large leaf on the way. She didn't want to have to use her shirt like the last time. The stains were sticky and annoying to wash away, and simply didn't feel like dirtying her already worn out clothes further.

When she was no longer in hearing range, Kankuro spun around to face his brother.  
"Quick! Let's fix it before she wants to help again!"  
With that said, the two boys hastily tried to make up for a lot of lost time.

...

After an hour or so and another meal, constructions were finally finished... and stable. Kankuro checked to make sure... over a dozen times.  
"If it breaks again... I'm still blaming you." he muttered looking right at Temari.  
She stuck her tongue out at him and gave Gaara a quick pat on the back.

"I'm proud of you two! You did a great job. Sorry that I couldn't be much help." She smiled sheepishly. The jinchuuriki shrugged and Kankuro mumbled something like 'no duh, klutzy' under his breath.  
The kunoichi slowly, carefully walked in and out the shelter. After doing it four times, she started clapping here hands.  
"Yup! It's idiot proof for sure!" she shouted out happily, dancing cheerfully around the clearing before jumping to a halt in front of her brothers, something that none of them have ever witnessed before. The siblings looked at each other for a moment. Then, Temari and Kankuro started laughing their hearts out, clenching their sides. Gaara was still calm and cool, but amusement was shining in his eyes.

It took them a few moments to calm down.  
Kankuro blinked the tears out of his eyes and smiled brightly at his family.  
"I... I can't remember the last time that... that all three of us found something hilarious. I kinda like it." he said, staring straight up at the blue, clear sky.  
"Yeah... I know how you feel. I can't remember the last time I felt this happy." chuckled Temari, pulling both her little brothers into a group hug.

They refused to move for a long time, until Gaara started squirming uncomfortably in their embrace.  
His siblings released him reluctantly and Temari just stood, and looked at the young red headed boy.

She had been right. He had changed a lot. He seemed... lighter, less reserved or hateful. He looked happier than she had ever seen him. She could tell just by looking into his green eyes.

...

There was a strange, warm feeling in Gaara's chest that wasn't this strong before.  
It felt strange, but not exactly uncomfortable. It tingled a bit and felt all fuzzy.

Gaara's first guess was that he was going into cardiac arrest.

Then, he looked back at his sibling's smiles of pure happiness.  
No, he wasn't dying. He just felt so happy and loved, he could hardly believe it himself.  
Sharing that little moment of joy with them... he finally, for the first time in his life, understood the meaning of sharing positive bonds with his siblings.  
Last night, with Temari, he had shared her hope and fears.

He had also felt that warm feeling in his heart when she had cried of happiness in his arms after he had brought Kankuro back. When she had said how much she loved him. And that he was her crazy little brother.  
Brother. Sister. Siblings. He wasn't completely sure what those words meant. But he was starting to feel some of it. The care, the love, the smiles.

At that moment, he didn't understand what the Kazekage's problem was.  
Why did he have to do this to their family? Why did the man called his father turn him into a monster? If only he hadn't, he could have probably understood the full meaning of family. But, somehow, he couldn't yet. He felt comradeship, teamwork, friendship, safety and love with his siblings. But not that... feeling. The one he had felt for his uncle. The one of pure trust, admiration, adoration, family. And later, betrayal.

Gaara slowly shook his head. It was not the time to think of something like this now. He wanted to be able to feel that family feeling again, with Kankuro and Temari. But wasn't too sure how. Were was the path he had to take? Where was the start and the end? Where they any nasty turns?  
Somehow, Gaara knew only one thing. He definitely felt on the right path. And that was a good beginning.

...

"It's fixing pretty well. I guess that fast healing runs in our family's blood or something." stated Kankuro, who was inspecting his sister's wounds. When he had removed the bloody bandages, he was surprised to see that the skin and flesh had easily fused itself back together, even where the class had cut deeply. The puppet-nin washed the make-shift bandages in the river before hanging them to dry, but grabbed one of the shreds of cloth and wiped off as much blood off his sister as he could.  
After one minute of awkwardness, Temari cleared her throat.  
"Um... Yeah. Maybe I should do that." She said then started cleaning herself. "Urg, the minute these are fully half healed I'm jumping into that river. Talking about that, you two seriously need baths, no offense." The kunoichi made a face as she thought about it.

"Aww... Come on Temari! We_ only _haven't washed for three days! Plus, we all ended up getting a shower last night!" whined the puppet-nin, backing away from the sparkly water as if it were toxic waste.  
"No! You are covered in mud and leaves! You stink! Take a dip little brother!" barked the kunoichi, trying to use her 'oldest sibling' authority. It wasn't really working though, as Kankuro had started skipping close to the water, mocking her, but not actually touching any of it.

Suddenly, the boy tripped over an abnormally large pile of sand and fell with a splash into the river.  
An eerie silence roamed the clearing until Kankuro burst out of the water gasping for air.  
"Ah! Cold! Cold! Cold! Gah!" he screamed latching onto the river bank, shivering at the temperature of the water. "What...?"  
He glared at Temari, who was practically choking on her laughter. He was going to start yelling at his sister but then her spotted the dancing sand that had escaped his notice a moment ago.  
"What? _Gaara?_You?" he widened his eyes in complete shock as he stared at his little brother. The jinchuuriki just shrugged.  
"Temari is right. You stink." He said emotionlessly, keeping a straight face. This only made the kunoichi laugh harder.

Kankuro's eyebrow twitched in anger. He growled devilishly and dug his nails into the earthy ground.  
"You... You... Why are you ganging up on me? This is so not funny! The water is freezing cold!" he continued complained for a good amount of time without actually getting out of the river. Temari guessed that he was going to stay in there for at least a little longer so she removed her shirt and tossed it at Kankuro.  
"There. Could you wash that while you're at it?"

The puppet-nin grumbled but did as he was told. Then, he froze halfway through the washing and grinned evilly at the younger of his two siblings.  
"Gaara, why don't you come in here too, since you are such a nice and understanding little boy and don't mind helping your big brother wash our clothes?" asked the boy hopefully, nearly batting his eyelashes at his brother.  
"No." replied the jinchuuriki flatly, backing away from the water.

Of course, Kankuro knew what this was about. Gaara hated water because all his attacks and defenses where based on sand. But, the river was freezing, and the puppet-nin was very pissed at the red head for making him fall in. So he attached a chakra string to the bottom of the boy's foot and tugged him into the water. The splash was huge.  
This time, nobody laughed during the silence. Then, slowly, Gaara stood up in the river, looking horrified and disgusted. The water went up to his shoulders and his expression made it clear that he really, really didn't like it.

For one moment, Kankuro asked himself if that was really the wisest thing to do, but that thought was overruled by his need for revenge. He just raised his eyebrow when Gaara shot him a death glare. The jinchuuriki's lips were pressed into a thin, frustrated line and when he opened his mouth a fraction of millimeter, a sound resembling a cat's hiss escaped it.  
The red head waded his way over to the river bank, pulled himself out and stomped away into the forest.

He returned a second later, taking off his shirt and pants and rinsing them in the river. He turned to glare more at Kankuro. Both the kunoichi and the puppet-nin were staring at their brother with something that resembled a mix of amusement, shock and awe.  
"I hate having wet sand in my pants." Growled Gaara, throwing his siblings and the river a dirty look.  
He stood up, wrung out his clothes roughly, left them on a branch to dry and then stomped out of the clearing again.

...

"Where do you think he went?" sighed Temari, looking at the trail of water leading into the forest that Gaara had left behind. She couldn't say that she was surprise that he had stormed out again, since that seemed to be his way of making sure that he kept his emotions under control, which kept Shukaku from killing them all. And not even the jinchuuriki wanted that. At least, she didn't think so.  
"No idea. Probably to sulk and be emo in his corner. Just you wait, he's gonna start start slitting his wrists with his finger nails." grumbled Kankuro.

The kunoichi shot him a look that showed exactly how unamused she was.  
"If that ever does happen, I'm going to kick you ass for pissing him off!" yelled Temari, throwing a rock at her brother, who dodged the shot.  
"Aww... That was pathetic sis! What were your years of ninja training for? To throw like a sissy?" Kankuro instantly regretted the words as he saw the vein of his sister's forehead pop out.

In two seconds, a hundred or so rocks were hurled at an incredible speed at the puppet-nin, who, this time, was a little less lucky with the dodging.  
"Ow! Sorry! I'm sorry! I didn't mean it! Ow! Stop!" cried Kankuro in vain.  
The ruthless kunoichi didn't stop bombarding her brother until her reserve of stones ran out, and that he was covered in unhealthy, colorful bruises as well as crimson red cuts.

Temari crossed her arms and enjoyed the moans of pain that came from the boy. The pitiful noises just fed her anger and pride. She did not like being called weakling names. Especially not by somebody like Kankuro, who had started mumbling curses under his breath and continued washing his clothes. When he finished, he tried to get out of the river, but Temari blocked his path and stuffed Gaara's wet clothes into his arms.  
"Wash these again, properly. Or else I'm going to poke you to death when I come back." threatened the girl, turning around and stomping into the forest, looking over her shoulder to send a warning glance to her brother.  
Kankuro opened his mouth to call his sister back, but she had already disappeared.

Temari kept her eyes glued to the trail of water that would lead her to Gaara. Luckily, the trees kept it from evaporating too quickly. She felt bad for letting him go until now. He shouldn't have to figure his problems out alone, Shukaku or not. She wanted her little brother to know that he could always be with them, and that they would never leave him, not matter. To do that, she would have to find him first.

...

Gaara leaned back against the branch, closing his eyes. He was glad that he had found this large, comfortable tree. Sitting up here with the light breeze soothed him a little, and he found his anger towards his brother dissipating slowly. He knew that he had deserved it, but getting tossed into a river had just really pissed him off. He hated that feeling of the cold water touching his skin and making him vulnerable. He trusted his siblings, but knowing that his sand was melting off him didn't exactly make him comfortable either.

He was surprised to know that Shukaku hadn't bothered him. The demon hadn't even taken advantage of the fact that his emotions weren't under control to try to make him snap. Gaara sat and meditated, quietly savoring his victory against his inner monster.  
Then, he sensed her coming.

He immediately jumped out of the tree and landed softly on the ground, just as Temari arrived. Why was she here? Did something happen?  
"Temari, is it Kankuro? What ha-...?" started the jinchuuriki as coldly as he could, but he couldn't completely stop a little bit of worry from leaking into his voice.  
"Relax! That idiot is fine! I came to make sure that you were OK!" said Temari taking a step towards the red headed boy, smiling comfortingly.

Shock filled Gaara's head. Neither one of his siblings had ever gone after him to check on his well being before. They had always just let him storm out and be alone.  
"Why?" asked Gaara naively. At this moment, when Temari looked at him, she saw that small, young, dangerous red headed boy that she had avoided and feared years ago... months ago... days ago...  
"Because nobody should be alone when they have problems. We are here for you little brother. I know that Kankuro is an insensitive idiot at times, but he normally regrets his actions around half an hour too late. But you don't have to leave every time you feel angry Gaara... You could just talk to us. Or throw rocks at Kankuro, that's what I do." chuckled the kunoichi, ruffling the back of her hair.

The jinchuuriki stared silently at his sister for a minute.  
"I could be dangerous if I do not have my emotions under control." he whispered, looking at Temari, who just shook her head.  
"Maybe, but I'm pretty sure that your brother and I are able to handle that. Or we could at least try, so that you don't have to be alone all the time." she replied, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder. Gaara looked up at his sister with wide eyes. The kunoichi bit her lip and pulled the boy into a silent hug, just like she had last night, when he had helped her. Except this time, she hoped that she was making him feel happy in return.

"Temari... Did you leave Kankuro in the clearing? Without supervision? After what happened last night?" asked the jinchuuriki monotonously.

It took a few seconds for the truth of the boy's words to sink in. When they did, Temari and Gaara looked at each of for a moment then shot off like bullets through the trees, back to their home, hoping that their brother hadn't tried to follow them.

...

Kankuro whistled a tune to himself, folding the last of Gaara's clothes. The freezing cold water didn't bite as much now, as he had gotten used to the temperature. And he was glad that his slightly ripped black pants were probably very clean, because he just couldn't feel bothered to take them off and wash them.  
With a grunt, he pulled himself out of the water and onto the dry ground. He flexed his arms to get rid of the cold's numbing effects, then slowly stood up and tried to shake all the water off his body. He sighed, picked up all the clean clothes and hung them on a branch to dry. He snickered when he placed his sister's shirt onto the tree.  
"If she weren't wearing those bindings, she would be walking around half naked... Good thing we're alone here." he mumbled to no one in particular.

"Kankuro!" shouted Temari, running out of the forest, towards him, followed by Gaara. The puppet-nin was filled with panic.  
"What? I was just kidding! What did you hear me say?" he stammered out, trying to think of the best way to avoid his death. At least he got to see both of his siblings before going right?  
"You idiot! Don't you ever leave again! You scared us to death! Kankuro..." screamed Temari, jumping on him and squeezing him so hard in her arms that he could feel his blood clogging up.  
"What? What are you talking about? I was washing the clothes like you told me!" yelled the brunet, extremely confused and trying to pry his sister off himself.

The kunoichi grinned sheepishly and let go of him.  
"Oops. Sorry. Right. I guess that I will forever be scared of you disappearing after what happened last night." sighed the girl brushing the hair out of her face.  
They both turned to look at Gaara, who just standing there, looking at their display, obviously very amused. So amused, in fact, that if only he was just like everybody else, he would probably have been laughing his heart out. If only.

**...**

I apologize again for not updated for, like, a month. I will update as regularly as I can, considering that I have freakish amount of homework and tests. And I will also be participating in a short story writing competition again this year, that I won last year, because my teacher is forcing my entire class to participate this year. So I will need to take time for that. But I will update!  
Thank you for those who still take time to review my stoies, it really does mean the world to me! You guys rock!  
And my readers make my day, so thank you for reading my story! I hope that you enjoyed it! And that you vote on my poll or something!  
XOXO ~~~ HimekoUchia, aspiring writer, student, movie and music lover!


	8. Where I Stand

**New chapter! Yay! *insert cheers Are you guys happy? I sure hope so! I had a huge block at the beginning, but decided to write it out anyway.  
****GAAAH! It's so hard to write a story with no romance in it! I mean, IMO, I wouldn't' mind hooking up the siblings with each other, but I know that not everybody likes it, and I do understand why. They are related after all. But their personalities all go so well with each other. Plus, Temari and Kankuro were always there for Gaara, and he would always protect them from death, even if they didn't realize it, even when the boy was dark. But never mind.  
I do not own Gaara, Temari, Kankuro or deserted islands! Please don't sue me!  
Enjoy!**

…

"Why do you want to join the search party Reina-san?" asked the Kazekage, eying the woman standing in front of him suspiciously. She stood up straighter and answer his question respectfully.  
"I want to be of assistance to by brother and all the other shinobi of our nation, Kazekage-sama. They could always use an extra pair of hands."  
The man nodded and started signing a permission form for the kunoichi.  
"I must inform you though, the search party has probably already arrived at the border and started searching the seas." he said, not looking up from his paperwork.  
"If they are absent when I arrive, I will wait for them at the pier until their return, then join them in the second round of searching." replied Reina, confidently reciting the words that she had prepared in her mind.

The Kazekage nodded again, stamped the note he had written and handed it to the woman.  
"Be sure to return to the village with the search party when they finish. There just happens to be someone else who wishes to join the group as well. You will join him at the village entrance in half an hour."  
The kunoichi bowed and thanked her village leader, putting the sheet of paper in her shirt, then turning to leave the office.  
Reina let a small smile ghost past her lips as she lightly patted the map in her pocket with the tip of her fingers. The map, that she hard studied further, during the whole night, was now covered in lines, numbers and small 'X' over the tiny, circled dot in the middle of the ocean.

In thirty minutes, her bag was packed and she was ready. She left the house that she shared with her brothers... well, now, brother.  
She quickly made her way through Suna, feeling extremely self conscious and strange. All these people... They each could have lost a loved one in that 'accident', but they all were hopeful that someone would return. If only they knew what their beloved Kazekage had done.  
Reina stopped in front of a huge gate with the kanji 'wind' carved onto it. Looking around, she spotted her travelling companion.  
Her eyes widened.  
"You!"

…

The trio spent the rest of their afternoon cleaning up their home as well as they could. The recent storms had covered the ground with branches, leaves and dirt.  
At first, the two boys didn't see how clearing up a sandy forest clearing was useful.

"Temari... This is totally stupid. Why should we do this? Another storm would just mess everything up again!" whined Kankuro, backing away from his sister. Gaara nodded and crossed his arms.  
"This is unnecessary." he said slowly, making sure that he wasn't offending his older sibling. He knew that he was much stronger than her, but he had witnessed the things she had done when Kankuro would make her mad, which was pretty often, and he knew that avoiding having her angry at him was smart.

"Oh come on! We are ninjas! Are you two boys telling me that... you are _scared _of a little clearing up?" she gasped dramatically, widening her eyes. As expected, her brothers stiffened at this comment. Suna genin didn't like being called weak. Even if this taunt was the most common one in the world.  
"No! We're not scared! We just... don't see why we should do it! It's just a waste of time!" replied the puppet-nin, trying to make his voice more authoritarian. It only made Temari laugh.  
"Oh please! It's not a waste of time! If we clean it, it will be nice and homey! And these debris aren't going to disappear you know!" she half yelled.

At this, the young jinchuuriki felt his mental light bulb brighten.  
"Temari. I can eliminate the branches if I use my..." he got cut off when the kunoichi started glaring.  
"You cannot use your sand! It's cheating! No ninjutsu! We have to do this right way! The hard the way!The tough way! The ninja way!" announced his sister.  
Gaara looked a little taken aback, but stayed silent as Kankuro growled.

"Look, Temari... Think of it this way. It's a waste of time to clean up the clearing since it will probably get all messed up in a few days again right?" he said, as convincingly as he could.  
"Look, Kankuro... Think of it this way. Is it a waste of time to clean your ass after going to the bathroom, if you're only going to go again? Huh?" snapped the kunoichi right back at him.

A small silence roamed the clearing as the two boys understood her point. But a certain someone didn't like being beaten in an argument. Kankuro opened his mouth to object but Gaara stopped him.  
"Kankuro, it would be an even bigger waste of time to argue with Temari. Let's just get this over with." he said flatly, with no emotion what-so-ever.

The puppet-nin stared open mouthed at his brother before mumbling 'traitor'. Temari just grinned and stuck her tongue out at him.  
"You should learn from Gaara, Kankuro. Never try to disagree, because I will always get my way in the end."  
The older boy grumbled, but joined his little brother in obeying to their sister's request.

…

The rest of the day passed quickly and Kankuro learned a few things. One, Temari and Gaara were both neat freaks. Two, messing with his either of his siblings whilst cleaning up would get him tossed into the river by two pairs of hands. Three, cleaning up a camp site was pretty fun as long as his siblings were around him. He surprised himself by thinking that, but he couldn't deny it. Nowadays, surrounded by his Temari and Gaara, he never felt bored or alone. Back in Suna, the only person who was ever really comfortable to hang around him was his sister or sensei. People would avoid him because of who his little brother was, even if it wasn't his fault nor Gaara's.  
It was nearly the same thing for Temari, except that she was slightly more social and gentle than her brothers, making people less afraid of her. But Suna was always wary of the Kazekage's three prodigious children. But now that they were gone, Kankuro could imagine that the entire village was more peaceful and less stressful, because now that Gaara was no longer in his own country, the population of the Land of Wind could walk freely around without having to fear death lurking at any corner. And it was pretty literal, especially on the jinchuuriki's bad days.

The puppet-nin felt hands push him into the shelter and towards his bed.  
"Kankuro... Are you OK? You've been pretty silent for quite some time, so I'm just a little worried. Is everything alright? It's not like you to stay concentrated or serious for this long." said Temari softly, smiling gently at him. The boy felt happiness fill his heart. Who cared what people in Suna thought about him, when he knew that his sister would always be there for him? And that his brother was now able to control himself and express positive emotions?  
"Nah, don't worry 'bout it sis! I was just thinking of the village a bit. I wonder if anyone noticed our disappearance yet?" grinned Kankuro reassuringly.

"Or if they noticed and don't really care. They are probably glad to be rid of me." came Gaara's rough voice from outside the shelter.  
The puppet-nin saw his sister bite her lip and he felt like doing the same. What could he say to his little brother? No, I'm sure that the whole of Suna misses you with all it's heart? It was a lie, and they all knew it. And he also knew that the jinchuuriki hated liars.

Gaara turned away and sat down on the clean, soft, sandy ground to keep watch for the night.  
"Goodnight Temari. Goodnight Kankuro. I hope that you don't have anymore dreams that lead to dishonesty." said the red headed boy softly, leaning back to watch the clear night sky above his head.  
"Goodnight little bros. See you tomorrow." whispered Temari, yawning and lying down on her make-shift bed.  
Kankuro sighed and lied down as well. He took a deep breath, smelling the dirt and the odor of the shelter, slightly moist from all the storms that they have had for the last couple of days.  
"'Night sis. 'Night Gaara." mumbled the boy, before drifting off to sleep.

…

The sunlight made the insides of Kankuro's eyelids a dark crimson color. He fluttered them open and blinked at the brightness until he got used to it. He turned over to his side and saw Temari fast asleep, turned over onto her stomach. She looked so peaceful, it almost seemed as if she was lying comfortably on her bed, and not on a mattress of leaves.  
The puppet-nin sat up with a groan and popped his soar joints. Holding onto the cave wall, he pushed himself up to a standing position.

Then, he carefully stepped over his sister's form and walked out into the clearing. He gasped and jumped back.  
"Shit! What the hell is this?" he muttered, eying the camp.  
In the center of it was a huge, dark red puddle of blood. It was filled with little chunks of... Kankuro didn't want to know.

"Gaara! What the... Where are you?" he panicked slightly when he didn't hear a response. "Gaara! Where are you, you little..."  
"Shut... up... Temari is sleeping." came the jinchuuriki's menacing voice. The puppet-nin flinched but sighed in relief when he saw his brother.  
The red headed boy slowly pulled himself out of the river, shaking the water out of his hair and slipping back into his clothes.  
"Oh, there you are... What..." Kankuro was cut off.  
"I was washing the blood off of myself." replied Gaara, not understanding why his older sibling looked so freaked out.

"Gaara... What the heck is that?" asked the puppet-nin, pointing to the enormous blood stain.  
The jinchuuriki seemed illuminated for a second.  
"Oh, that... Animal attack. I don't know what it was. But it looked hungry and unkind, so I killed it." said the boy with a slight shrug, making a quick hand sign.  
The sand seemed to absorb the blood on it, leaving only clean, plain dirt.  
"I probably should have done that first." pointed out Gaara, to no one in particular.

"Yeah... Maybe you should have..." muttered Kankuro bitterly under his breath, but the jinchuuriki heard it. The younger boy gave his brother a slightly hurt look, that made the puppet-nin's heart clench in guilt. Yes, even as a shinobi, seeing pools of red liquid wasn't a delight, but he felt bad for making the red head feel bad.  
"Gaara... I'm sorry man, I didn't mean for it to sound bad. I know that I should be used to all types of massacres by now, but I guess that no sane person actually enjoys being splashed by even an enemies' remains..." Kankuro trailed off as he realizes that what he had just said was a perfect description of the jinchuuriki's favorite pastime a few days ago.

The younger boy dipped his head down, casting a shadow onto his face, making Kankuro unable to tell weather he was angry or upset. The brunet nervously rubbed the back of his neck.  
"Ah... That didn't come out right either. I mean that, I know you used to be like that, but... You're not now... I don't know, but... You've really changed. In a good way! Uh... I guess that, even if you used to be creepy and all, you're a better person now... Not saying that you weren't good before! I mean that... Even if you were still completely insane and evil... Who knows, you could still be... Not saying that you are! … You would still be my little brother right?" The ninja wanted to kick himself for managing to offend his brother even further. Maybe Temari was right. Maybe he really should think before speaking.

"... Yes, I would still be your brother. We have the same blood. It can't be helped." Finally replied Gaara, lifting his face, revealing his signature blank, cold face. Kankuro chewed the inside of his cheek. He might be hiding it well, but the puppet-nin knew that his brother was extremely hurt. He wanted to say something to make the situation better, but he knew that speaking some more would probably just make things worse, so he stayed silent.

Kankuro was torn. Why had this started? Because of a blood stain. The question was, which idea had frightened him the most? The one that the blood could have came from one of Gaara mostly innocent victims? Or the fact that it could have been his little brother's blood splashed all over the ground?  
Being completely honest with himself, the boy knew that it was a mixture of both fears that had caused him to panic. He sighed softly to himself but his action, yet again, failed to escape the jinchuuriki's notice.

"You still don't... I thought that you trusted me..." said the young boy, in what sounded nearly like a whisper. Kankuro felt his insides squirm, but remembered the number one rule. Never lie. This time, he took a few minutes to think out his speech.  
"I _do _trust you. If I had to place Temari's or my own life between someone's hands, I would choose you. But everyone else in this world's life? Maybe less. I don't _completely_ trust you, but I know that you don't completely trust me either... I mean come on, if you unconditionally trusted me, counted on me and thought that I would always keep my word, then where would _I_ be? Frozen, dead in that frigging cave. If you completely trusted me, thinking that I would come back, then I would be screwed. So I guess that it's a good thing that you knew better than to count on me for everything."

Kankuro was pretty satisfied with his rant, especially when Gaara looked up at him with amused eyes.  
"You are right. It is a good thing to not completely trust a person right away. It gives you the chance you save their ass when they mess up, something that you knew that was going to happen all along. But with time will come more trust, right?" The red head looked at Kankuro with hopeful eyes. Like a little child looked at his older brother, asking him questions that he hoped that he would get a positive answer to. Kankuro felt a lump forming in his throat, but managed to force it down.  
Gaara hadn't looked at him with those innocent, pure eyes every since that day, when he was no more than four, and he had asked his 'older brother' if they would both grow up to become great ninja, like 'Yashamaru and father!'. Kankuro also remembered smiling nervously, because of the fact that Gaara had a demon implanted in him and killed his mother, before shrugging and muttering a 'sure'. He could never forget that cheerful grin that his little brother had given him before happily running off to find their uncle. That smile would have put the most beautiful angels to shame.

But that was such a long time ago, and, looking at the Gaara in front of him, who was now staring back him with those _eyes_, he realized that so much had changed. And nothing would ever be the same again.  
But for now, all that Kankuro could do was smile nervously and say:  
"Sure... Absolutely! I truly do believe that too little bro." The brunet walked over to his brother and slowly, hesitantly patted his shoulder. The red headed boy flinched a little, but not as much as the first time that his brother had done that, on the first real night on this island.  
"I do believe that that is an improvement." grinned the puppet-nin, giving Gaara another, bigger tap on the shoulder, which was more of an over-energetic slap and ended up making the younger boy growl in pain.  
"Kankuro. Not only is Shukaku refusing to help me, but coming out of the river, I am still completely soaked and so are my clothes. So therefore, I don't have a sand shield. Don't. Ever. Do. That. Again." said the jinchuuriki through gritted teeth.

His brother gulped and nodded, but was pleased when he realized that he didn't get killed for that, and that he had just heard Gaara speak a lot. Well, for him anyway.  
"Yeah, it is an improvement." sighed Kankuro out loud, happily to himself. He received a weird look from the younger boy, but Gaara chose to remain silent. The jinchuuriki turned towards the entrance of the shelter half a second before Temari emerged from it.

"Good morning little brothers! Did I miss anything? What's for breakfast?" The kunoichi was clearly in a good mood, having slept an extremely long time.  
"It isn't 'morning' anymore. It is nearly noon." said Gaara, looking up at the sun far above their heads.  
The two older siblings looked at each other, shocked.  
"What? We slept for that long? I'm sorry Gaara! I hope that you weren't completely bored out of your mind!" said Temari sheepishly, walking to the center of the clearing, exactly where her brothers were.  
The jinchuuriki just shrugged and crossed his arms.  
"I meditated." he stated simply. Both of his siblings nodded knowingly. Kankuro spun around to face his sister's wide, bright smile, which was starting to creep him out.

"Um, Temari? You're in a good mood..." he started, but was cut off when the blond laughed out loud.  
"Oh, is it really that obvious? I had a very satisfying dream of our father screaming like a girl when saw all three of us walking in, completely healthy, alive and happy. Then, the council elders started to dance on the tables, wearing only pink skirts and throwing crayons at the Kazekage..." said the kunoichi dreamily, absolutely entranced by her vividly humorous dream. But Gaara thought otherwise.  
"Temari, how can a dream about old men in girl clothes be 'satisfying'?" asked the jinchuuriki, suspiciously eying his sister.  
The girl stopped her happy train of thoughts and pondered her brother's words.  
"You know what, you're right. I'm no longer in a hyperactive good mood. That dream was disturbing and is now classified as a nightmare due to lack of training stress. Except for the part about father screaming and getting a purple crayon lodged in his arm. That was cool."  
Kankuro and Temari both started laughing whilst Gaara still looked slightly disturbed.

"Why purple?" he asked slowly, starting to be glad that he was unable to dream and end up with these wacky thoughts.  
His two siblings gave him a weird look and the kunoichi shrugged.  
"No idea. I like purple, I guess... I am starting to worry myself, I normally don't think completely random things. I think that all this 'being stranded on an island' feeling is starting to get to me... I don't know why, but I feel as if I'm trapped but free at the same time." replied the girl, sighing.  
"I get it. We are stuck on this island. We can't get off. But at the same time, no looks, no hate, no people staring at us, scared. I feel as if... I can be anything that I want, and not what Suna expects me to be. Strong, emotionless, cruel, serious-..." Kankuro was cut off when Temari started laughing her butt off.

"Serious? Are you kidding me? If that's what the village expects from you, then you failed it so long ago. The only time when you aren't messing around or joking is when you say 'Oh no, _he_'s coming!' or '_He_ scares me'. Other than that, you are _always _acting like an..." the kunoichi trailed off when her Kankuro awkwardly shoved her arm, indicating that Gaara was still right there, looking at them with blank eyes.

"Oh. Oops. Um, I'm sorry little brother. I still keep forgetting that you are so much more open now." Temari put her hands up, hoping that she didn't offend the jinchuuriki or hurt his feelings. He might seem tough, but the girl knew that Gaara was quite soft and fragile on the inside.  
To her relief, he just shrugged.  
"You aren't the only one..." the red head sent Kankuro a glare for their earlier conversation.  
The puppet-nin pretended to not see it, and returned to the earlier topic.  
"Gaara, does being on this island make you feel trapped or free? Or both?"

"I am neither caged in nor free enough to leave this island." he replied. He saw his siblings sweat drop. Gaara wasn't the type to draw huge images out of his imagination, unlike Temari, and sometimes Kankuro. It made his uncomfortable with them staring at him. "It's better than the looks." he added.  
Then, there was an long silence as the three teenagers ran out of things to say.

"What's for lunch?" tried the kunoichi. Her two brothers looked at each other for a moment, before Kankuro answered.  
"Whatever you're cooking, duh..."

…

"Gaara, can I ask you something?" said Temari, chewing down the last bite of her food. It wasn't that exquisite, as usual, but better than anything her brothers could have done.  
"Yes." replied the red head, looking up at his sister, then at Kankuro who looked as if he was attacking the rest of his food, shoving it into his mouth. After a few more seconds, the kunoichi slapped the boy behind his head, making him choke on his food. Temari rolled her eyes and asked her youngest brother her question.  
"You probably know more of this island than me and Kankuro... I was wondering if you knew the way to the beach?"

Gaara gave the girl a curious look, but nodded slowly.  
"Yes, I know the way. But why would you want to find the beach?" Images of a stormy, dangerous ocean automatically filled his mind, as well as the terror that came with it. He shook his head, pushing these mental pictures away.  
"You see... I was thinking... We haven't seen the ocean in days... Since we live in a desert, we should take advantage of this situation and enjoy the sea as fully as possible. Plus, I just realized something: if we washed up on this island, what if someone or something else did? And the shipwreck? If it didn't sink, then it must have ended up here too..." The kunoichi studied her brothers' reactions.

Kankuro, for once, looked deep in thought. Gaara, however, looked very uncertain.  
"There isn't any other chakra signature on this entire island. I doubt that the boat survived those waves... and the storm." he said, running his hand through his hair, making a fair amount of sand fall out. Then, he lifted his bluish green eyes to stare at Kankuro, who looked as if he could explode any minute. The jinchuuriki opened his mouth to ask him if he wasn't feeling too good, but his brother talked before he could.  
"You know, if we could find some stuff from the wreckage, it would be very useful. I could make some things that could really help us..."

Gaara, though hating the idea of seeing the dreaded ocean again, was still a top leveled ninja. He could completely understand his siblings' motives and their wish to see the sea. As long as they stayed together, the red head decided that he could push his fear aside. It was two against one anyway.  
Those were just the excuses the boy needed to tell himself to make sure that he didn't back down.  
"Come. I will show you the way. Don't get lost." said the jinchuuriki, standing up and waiting for Temari and Kankuro to do the same. They both smiled happily and followed their younger brother into the trees, completely trusting his sense of direction.

After what felt like ten minutes of hiking through the forest, all three of the teenagers could easily tell that the ocean was close, simply by the smell. Being only surrounded by trees, sand and dirt for a few days made the odor of the salty water very perceptible, especially for their trained ninja senses.  
"The walk was much longer than this when we went to the clearing on the first day." pointed out Kankuro, looking at Gaara. He was surprised to see a very uncomfortable look on his brother's face.  
"The coast was always very close. But the place where we washed up is much further up the beach." replied the jinchuuriki, managing to keep his voice cool. But, of course, he didn't fool his siblings.

"Gaara... What's wrong? Are you OK?" Temari placed a comforting hand on her brother's shoulder. He didn't stop walking, but slightly turned his head towards her.  
"I'm fine." He tried to keep his face void of all emotion, but the kunoichi could read the fear in his eyes.  
"Dude, don't even try to hide stuff from us. Your sister and I have eyes like a jonin! Or a hawk!" Kankuro then proceeded to smash himself into a palm tree. The genin grunted loudly and swore under his breath, under the slightly amused eyes of his siblings.  
"Oh the irony. No, but really. Gaara, what's bothering you?" The blond girl gave all her attention back to her youngest brother.

The jinchuurki blinked and saw the honest, pure and complete concern in his sister's eyes and felt his heart go all warm and fuzzy again.  
"The waves. I remember the terror. The cold. The pain. Your blood... Kankuro's efforts to save our lives." The red head found himself answering.  
His two siblings exchanged a look and both put an arm around him.  
"Gaara... If something bad happens, I'll just pull you and Temari back to safety. Don't worry OK? Trust me for this." The puppet-nin grinned when his brother nodded slowly and relaxed.

And at the same moment, the three teenagers emerged from the trees and were momentarily blinded by the bright sunlight bouncing off the wide stretch of sand in front of them. After a few seconds, they could see again.

The beach seemed to extend to the very tip of their vision and seemed completely endless, but the ocean, however, seemed to go even further than that.  
"The island is actually bigger than it looks." gasped Temari turning her head from side to side, taking in the completely deserted coastline.  
"Yes. The place where we washed up is further down that way. If there is a shipwreck, it should be there." said Gaara, starting to walk along the band of sand, keeping a fair amount of distance between him and the sea.

Temari walked along the shore, her worn out sandals dipping in the water, quietly watching the shimmering glow and the rippled of the small waves on the ocean surface. It looked so different than the sea that had sunk their ship and dragged them here.  
Kankuro decided to place himself in the middle of Gaara and Temari, to fill in the gap. After a few minutes, they both slowly joined him, to walk right beside their brother, reminding all three of them of how they would move through their village, standing close to each other, but not together.  
But this time, they could all feel a connection. Just by choosing to walk beside their siblings without being forced to do so by the glares of Suna or their reputation, they chose to form a bond. It may have been a small one, but it wasn't insignificant. They were completely at ease, and didn't have to strike up any conversation during their trip.

After quite a long time, the trio arrived in front of a bend in the island, which had a large slope of rocks instead of sand, as if to cut the beach into halves.  
Gaara stepped forward and motioned to his teammates to follow. They clambered over the stones, holding onto the branches or roots poking out of the slope for support.  
When Temari and Kankuro were both standing on sand again, they both stood up straight and bumped into Gaara, who had his back turned to them and was staring straight ahead of him, completely frozen.  
"What? Gaara, why did you..." the puppet-nin trailed off as he took a small step forward, giving him a clear view of what was spread out across the beach right in front of them.

…

**Dun dun dun... What is happening? With the Sibs and the jonins? You will have to wait for the next chapter to find out (and are my readers starting to get what is happening with the whole Reina and Yuudaiepisodes? Who can guess who the mistery guy is?)!  
In the mean time, please review! It would really make me happy! And thank you for reading my story. Knowing that people actually enjoy reading this puts a smile on my face!  
I love all of you guys! And don't worry, the Sand Siblings are not coming at an end of their adventure just yet! There is (quite) a lot more to come!  
I am on holiday right now, so I will try to update faster. No guarantees though, since my teachers left me tons of homework and a writing assignment, which I guess won't be too bad (the writing part of course, 'coz homework is barf). Plus, I also have my other story. Oh, and if you guys could check out my polls, that would be great!  
XOXO ~~~ HimekoUchia**


	9. The Discovery

**I finally posted this! Oh joy! I'm sooo sorry this took ages. Between having to write a short story for a competition, Spanish essays, video making projects, organizing fundraisers and procrastinating, I've had a pretty tight schedule.  
****  
This took me quite some time to think up... But whatever, you have it now, right?  
Since this story was originally classified 'family, adventure, hurt and comfort' then I guess that I _won't _be putting any romance in it (it will be difficult, but I'll try). So any Sandcest haters can rest assured, and SandSibs love supporters... I might write another fic for you guys (after I finish my current ones of course, since I'm already dividing up my time between writing and my life, I can't handle too much.)! **

**I do not own Temari, Gaara, Kankuro, deserted islands or anything but the plot. And my mind. And my invisible and non existent bank account so don't sue me people!**  
**If you absolutely hate gruesomeness and death stuff, then skip ahead a little. But then again, if you are reading a fic with ninja in it, you must be prepared.**

**...**

"Lunch break is over! Everybody back to your posts!" yelled out the captain.  
Yuudai sighed and put his plate into the large, provided container. They hardly had any time to eat or rest, even after cutting back on sleep for their entire trip. But he was fine. He was a shinobi after all.

The jonin walked up to the side of the boat that was assigned to him and looked out into the endless ocean.

The large group of ninja had separated into half a dozen ships and had each left on an individual search to cover up more sea, following the plausible rout of the sunken boat they were looking for.  
Yuudai had a strange feeling that they weren't even close to their goal, as if they were being led on a wild goose chase. In his family, his brother had been the strong one, Reina was the smart one and he was always the one with a killer instinct, even if most people wouldn't believe him or called him crazy.  
His instinct told him that, if he was looking for his brother, he wasn't going to find him this way.  
But nothing could ever stop him from trying.

...

"Oh... my..." was all Temari managed to choke out when she saw what was littered across the beach like washed up garbage. Being a skilled kunoichi, she remained calm and scanned the area, wincing every now and then at the sight before her.  
"So... I guess that the shipwreck did follow us after all." muttered Kankuro.

The sand was only showing in patches under the chunks of wood, fabrics, broken furniture, objects and scraps of metal that their boat had decomposed into. And of course, with the remnants of the transport, deck and the rooms on board, came the people that used to occupy it. Or what was left of them.  
If all of those wounds and cuts were fresh, those people would have most likely bled to death, but the salt of the ocean had drained every corps dry of it's blood, leaving only empty, white bodies.

"Gaara... Are we really the only ones that survived?" asked the puppet-nin, trying to remain emotionless in the face of death. He was a ninja... But he couldn't help but feel pity for all those people that didn't live in their place.  
"Yes. I'm sure." replied the jinchuuriki, eying the carnage in front of him coolly. When his brother had saved him from the waves, he was exhausted, confused and completely weak. But now, seeing all those villagers, people who had hated and shunned him, gruesomely dead at his feet... He had never felt more thankful towards Kankuro in his entire life. It could have been him, if it weren't for his sibling's bravery, that had saved him and his sister from the fate that all these others' ended up having.  
But all of this feeling Gaara managed to keep hidden behind his cold mask, for something was starting to nag at him, making him tense up and shut himself off. And that something was a mind probing demon that had stirred from his 'hibernation'. The jinchuuriki could still sense that Shukaku was angry and unwilling to communicate with him for saving Kankuro's ass from the freezing cold cave when the demon had spent years successfully brainwashing the young boy into enjoying others' pain and hating his family. But he was now there, awake, and Gaara hoped more than anything that he was able to keep it away from his sanity, make Shukaku stay silent.

How could lock him away again? How did he do it last time?  
"Um... Little bro, are you feeling OK?" Gaara felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned and was faced with his older brother, who had a worried look on his face.  
Care. He had done it by deeply caring for another person, a feeling that made the demon shrink in horror. For making sure that Temari didn't see him leave that night, to not further break her down. He didn't have to do that, but he did.  
He didn't have to sneak out into the pouring rain to save Kankuro's clumsy ass and to help his sister make sure that he was healthy and well. But he did that anyway.  
For a second, the jinchuuriki didn't even remember why he cared about those two. They only caused him trouble, pain and made him vulnerable too many times. He very nearly even risked his own existence for them.

But Gaara knew that he cared... because they cared. Kankuro had saved him from a sinking ship and it was his own free will. When Gaara had lost his control, then all of his strength, instead of abandoning him and calling him a monster, his siblings had helped him recover with a smile and a hug.

Which human wouldn't care about people as... _kind _as them? The redhead, even being a jinchuuriki, was glad to finally prove that he was very human inside. Deep inside.

"I am fine Kankuro. We should search the area for anything we could use." said Gaara, replying to his brother's earlier question.  
After a brief nod, the three teenagers switched to shinobi mode and all went in a different directions to cover up more ground and waste less time. They each avoided to look directly at a corpse, not because they felt disgusted or sick doing so, but because seeing the ripped faces of all the mostly innocent people, some even younger than them, lying there, looking so peacefully up at them, even dead, made them slightly guilty and uneasy. But none of them knew why that feeling was so prominent.

Temari slowly walked across the beach, picking up anything useful she could find. Trying to touch as little of the dead people as possible, she piled up cloths, sheets and window drapes in her arms, gulping when she finally finished and moved to the side, as far away as possible from death.  
Kankuro also found quite a few things, and couldn't stop the slight cheer when he found the ship's emergency evacuation bag-pack. It had a large hole in it, but when the ninja lifted it up cautiously, he could feel some weight indicating that it wasn't empty. He wondered what incredibly great things were in it.  
Gaara silently strolled across the sand, picking up kunai, senbon, medic-nin pouches and was a little surprised at the small amount of weapons he found. So... most of those passengers weren't even ninjas, just mere civilians that wanted nothing more that to get safely to the Land of Waves.

The jinchuuriki stopped suddenly in his tracks. Then, he very slowly bent his head down to look at corpse lying before him. A child, her short, black, dull hair messed up across her paper white face, her two arms lying limply by her side. Her lifeless eyes looked up at Gaara. They weren't filled with hate or disgust, just blankness.  
The young girl, who's life that he had unknowingly saved on the boat. The girl that had defended him when Kankuro had looked at him with 'murder accusation' in his eyes, even if the jinchuuriki had ruthless stripped that mysterious man of his life in a matter of seconds.

Then the redhead was the first to realize why seeing at these dead villagers made him so uncomfortable.

"Isn't it strange..." said Gaara, to no one in particular, but his two siblings turned to face him anyway. "That the only three people to survive that shipwreck were the three most unwanted children in Suna? Every single one of them probably have family or friends crying over them right now, praying for their return, whilst us... Our own father is most likely celebrating our disappearance. No body is waiting for us. Each one of the villagers of Suna would gladly trade our lives in if they could only have one of these dead people back. It's... painful to acknowledge that, even if I already knew that they all hated me."  
All that was heard was the soft crash of the waves against the shore, as Temari and Kankuro absorbed their brother's truthful words.  
They were unwanted. No body would be happy to get them back. Was there _anyone_ who would be glad they were alive?

Images of their sensei filled Kankuro's mind, but left almost immediately.  
"Maybe... Nah, he was just hired by the Kazekage to keep an eye on Gaara, to make sure that he didn't kill random dudes. He was less hostile than most though. Oh, whatever."  
No body asked the puppet-nin who he was referring to. They didn't need to add another person to their everlasting list of names of those who didn't give a damn about them, Gaara's mental list being the longest one out of the three of them.

"So... Our arms can't hold anymore. We could always come back another time to search for more. But should we go now? Or should we do something about..." Temari bit her lip and gestured to the bodies around them. The redhead looked at the unhappiness on his sister's face and could feel his mind and heart getting torn in two. The side of him that spent days on this island with his siblings wanted to get the frown out of the girl's face, but his darker, demonic, and slightly more influential side told him to crush all those bodies and laugh at their misery. Those people had always hated him and wanted him dead. This was just life's payback.  
The young boy nearly flinched at his mental devil, disgusted by it, yet secretly agreeing to his arguments. But the jinchuuriki was not called Suna's strongest shinobi for nothing. He looked back at Temari and Kankuro.  
After a long silence, Gaara stretched both of his palms in front of him and closed his eyes in concentration. Slowly, a pile of sand lifted each corpse up in the air, and placed them all side be side on the dry sand. Kankuro was surprised that there were even more than he had originally guessed.  
Then, a thick layer of sand covered up each body, leaving only a small mound visible, like a long line of small graves.

Temari smiled sadly and wrapped an arm around the redhead.  
"Thank you Gaara." she whispered before turning away into the trees, followed closely by her brothers.

…

Kankuro couldn't help but feel very satisfied with himself. He and his siblings had placed all of their finds from the shipwreck scavenge onto the ground to make a list of all that they had.  
There were many things but when the puppet-nin had emptied the emergency bag pack, he felt like he hit a jackpot. He knew that since there was a huge rip at the bottom of it, it was very likely that more than half of the items originally inside were lost, but since they had managed to survive with so little for the past four days, anything was welcome.  
But 'anything' just happened to be a (slightly broken but still shut tight) first aid kid, simple metal forks, a pan, a pot to boil water in as well as a compass and a paint brush, which none of the genins could find a use for, but placed it aside anyway. Kankuro was pretty sure that there would have been sugar cubes or some energy foods in there, since he had himself packed a couple bags like this, but the sea had taken them away.

"Wow. This is good. This is very good. Weapons, medical stuff, cooking things and some material... This is great." he said cheerfully, picking up a kunai, aiming it and throwing it straight into a tree. He grinned when he heard the satisfying thunk as the knife lodged itself deep into the bark. Oh, how he had missed that sound. And it only got better when he used his chakra strings to retrieve it.  
The sad images of death and carnage had slowly faded from his by mind now.  
"Absolutely. With all of this, we can really improve our life style whilst we are stuck on this piece of floating land in the middle of absolutely nowhere." added the kunoichi. "OK, I hope that you guys don't mind, but I'm going to make myself some _proper_ bandages for these stinking wounds."  
Temari opened the medical kit, grabbed a disinfectant, rolls of binding and walked into the trees, so that she could have a little privacy. That left the two boys in the clearing.

The duo worked efficiently, trying to make the maximum of things they could. Kankuro and Gaara both started solidifying their shelter, now that there had kunai, they could really cut the wood into more convenient shapes. And the older boy gladly taught his younger brother the best techniques he had learned during his few years of professional wood constructions. However, he had glared when his sister had returned and tried to help, remembering the door incident.  
Temari decided to look again through the first aid kit and found a needle and some strings.  
"Hey, Gaara? Give me your clothes, I'm going to fix them. You too Kankuro."

For the next few hours, the team worked on their projects, occasionally making small talk about their village, the island or random stories that they could remember about their past.

"Do you two remember the time that the Kazekage had that casual meeting with a bunch of other lords of the Wind? And how that guy with the purple hair brought sake, got totally smashed and started dancing on the table? Hahaha... Good times." Temari chuckled at the memory and was soon joined by Kankuro.  
"Oh, yeah. He even threw his pants at me. Right after that, we both got kicked into our rooms I... I don't remember anyone telling me what happened to the guy... But I probably don't want to know. Do you remember, Gaara?" said the puppet-nin trying to include his brother in the conversation.  
The redhead looked as if he got snapped out of deep thinking.  
"No, I don't remember that part. The second that the man climbed onto the furniture, Yasha-... Our uncle made me leave the house because of his indecency." he said, with a little growl when he mentioned the traitor's name.

His siblings looked at each other nervously, hoping that their brother wasn't going to get too angry.

"Gaara... Are feeling OK? You seemed... Really focused just now. Is something bothering you?" asked Temari, taking a step towards the boy, who once again noticed the genuine concern in his sister's voice.

"I feel fine. It's just..." The jinchuuriki hesitated for a moment, but decided to tell his siblings his problem after he got more encouraging looks from them. "Shukaku hasn't been present since the last storm, but he stirred from his 'sleep' when he sensed the death and the corpses. He didn't start talking, since there wasn't any blood to urge him on, but..." Gaara trailed off, leaving a slight atmosphere of fear, stress and suspense hanging in the camp.

The two older ninja once again exchanged a nervous look. After a few minutes of silence, Kankuro spoke up.  
"Gaara, just remember... You are strong. You can fight that thing. And in case he _does _come out... We'll just lock him back in like the last time. And Temari and I will help you get back on to your feet. Just like last time." The boy smiled at the slightly shocked look in his little brother's eyes, that only intensified when Temari agreed with Kankuro.  
Gaara wasn't completely sure if he could always resist Shukaku's blood-lust, but hearing his siblings say those things out loud made him... happy. He felt like he could trust them for everything, but he held that feeling back. As Kankuro had said earlier, not everybody could be counted on at all times. But still, the jinchuuriki couldn't stop the warm feeling that spread in his heart when his brother and sister had smiled reassuringly at him. He also felt much safer than before knowing that they wouldn't abandon him like so many others did.

...

When Temari had finished repairing her siblings' and her outfit, washed and hung them to dry, she started making a new shirt for her eldest brother, since he had sacrificed his as makeshift bandages for her. She found a plain white material, that probably used to be a bed sheet, and decided to use that. She didn't want Kankuro to get sun burned or scratched just because he was walking around bare chested.  
"Kankuro, come over here. I need to figure out how big I need to make it."

The puppet-nin looked sad to leave his wood creations, but walked over to Temari, sat down and stuck his arms out. The kunoichi folded the cloth in half, cut a hole from the folded side and placed it over her brother's head, then started cutting the shape of the shirt.  
Kankuro looked as if he was wearing a huge white bag and even Gaara couldn't help but find it amusing. He nearly smiled.  
When Temari was done, she let her brother rejoin the redhead and he continued teaching the jinchuuriki his art.

They continued their work and by the time the day was almost over, Temari, with her efficiency, had managed to make a few sets of clothes, washed them completely void of blood stains in the river and left them to dry so that each of her siblings and her could actually change into clean outfits.  
Gaara and Kankuro had both done a great job as well. Their shelter now looked much more solid and resistant to anything, including bad weather.

"Well... Nice work you two. I'm going to find something to eat, because I'm starving. We now have some utensils, so I am actually sort of looking forward to cooking this time." said Temari, picking up a kunai and walking out of the clearing, into the forest.  
After a few minutes of walking, she decided to follow the river upstream, wondering where it would lead to. She made a mental note to ask Gaara in case it was too far away for her to explore now.  
And as far as the kunoichi knew, this island wasn't small, so it could be quite some time until she found the source of the river.

Temari heard leaves rustle above her head and spotted a bird up in a tree. Grabbing the knife, she slowly aimed her projectile at it, then launched it full force at the animal.  
She didn't miss, and the bird fell to the floor with a thunk.  
"Meat. Finally... I know two boys that will be happy." she grinned, picked up her hunt and skipped back to the clearing, feeling proud of her accomplishment.

She announced her return the second she set foot in the clearing again.  
"Guess what I've got little bros! Something with wings! And looks reasonably edible!" she hollered, running into the center of the camp to show her find.  
Both boys answered by dropping whatever they had in their hands and rushing over to her.  
"Yes... Yes! Thanks sis! Now gimme!" yelled Kankuro.

He was slapped on the back of the head by a now annoyed Temari.  
"You can't eat animals_ raw_ you moron! You will catch some sort of disease. Let me cook it. Actually, don't you even think about touching it before it's ready. You two start working on a proper fire place." she instructed.  
Kankuro and Gaara didn't argue and did as they were told, watching their sister as she patiently cleaned the bird out, plucking the feathers off and doing all of those things that she needed to do. It was a messy job, but the kunoichi knew that she could always wash up in the river later on anyway.

When all of that was done, she cut up the bird and started frying it over the fire, using a kunai to turn it over and check it's rawness.  
"This might take some more time... How long does it take to fry slabs of meat over an open fire? I guess that we are about to find out..."  
The girl decided that it was a good time to ask her youngest brother the question that she had in her mind.  
"Hey, Gaara, you explored most of the island right? What will we find if we followed the river upstream?" asked Temari, looking up at the redhead, who seemed actually... _content_. Reasonably happy and peaceful, especially for him. The kunoichi smiled when she got over the slight shock.  
"About an hour walk up, there is a waterfall." answered the jinchuuriki.

A silence roamed the clearing.

Kankuro was the first one to break it.  
"A... A waterfall? That... That is so _awesome_ dude! I mean, I can't remember the last time I saw a _waterfall_!" He laughed, grinning from ear to ear.  
Temari's reaction was similar. People who were originally from the harsh deserts of Suna could only dream of seeing a river, let alone a cascading mass of water.  
"Wow! Gaara, tomorrow, you have to bring us there!" squealed the girl, nearly poking her hand with the kunai she was holding. She carefully stuck it in the cooking food instead.

Kankuro stopped grinning.  
"Ne... Why not right now? Why wait?"  
"Because, you idiot, it's starting to get dark, the food is cooking and if we go first thing tomorrow, we can spent more time there than if we go right now. So sit down, the bird is done... What is it actually? Looks like a... chicken looking thing that flies..." she trailed off when she realized that back in the desert, she had never seen an animal like this, and therefore didn't have any words to describe it.

But that didn't matter. Temari grinned and handed each of her brothers a portion of food, slightly proud that she had managed to not burn most of it.  
They all quickly found a fork in the bag-pack and started to eat. The kunoichi watched, amused, when Kankuro yelped as he burned his tongue. Gaara, being much more careful of his own safety, blew on his bite of food before stuffing it in his mouth. Temari did the same.

"Mmmmmh! It tastes even better when you've made it yourself!" sighed the girl, looking smugly at the two boys in front of her.  
"I would be loving you so much more if you weren't such a big headed person." growled the puppet-nin, giving his a sister an evil glare. She just laughed at him.  
"Nice try little brother. You know that that doesn't work on me when you do it! When you're done, take a bath and change into your new clothes. They are probably dry already. Then, we should go to bed, if we want to get up early tomorrow. I don't want to end up traveling at midday when it's the temperature is the hottest right? That would just be inconvenient. Gaara, kick Kankuro and I awake if you have to 'kay?"

…

**OK, I know that it wasn't the longest that I have done, and probably not the best but as I said... I'm sorry, I will be taking a silly amount of time to post chapters... In a month, I'm on vacation again, and hopefully that will mean that I can write more often.  
But rest assured! I will NEVER abandon a story, no matter how long or difficult it takes for me to write a chapter! I won't let you guys down!  
So yeah... Have a nice day! I already started writing the next chapter of this story, but I have to update the other one too...  
Peace out fellow readers and/or writers and/or reviewers! I love you all!  
HimekoUchia**


	10. My Pride

**So here is my now monthly update of this story! *cracks open bottle of champagne* Just kidding, I can't drink, I'm only 13.  
So, you are about to discover who Reina is traveling with, and it is probably one of my favorite scenes that I have written so far. So emotional and beautiful. Kinda. Sorta. I hope so.  
Thank you to all of those who reviewed, loved and read my story! I love you guys! **

**I do not own Naruto or deserted islands or the Sand Team or anything that doesn't belong to me. Just thought that I should make that clear.  
Enjoy!**

...

"So, if I get this right, Jiro-san was on the ship during the accident? And Yuudai-san has left with the first group and you requested to join him?" asked the rather young jonin, his eyes never leaving the woman in front of him.  
They had been traveling for a day now, and had taken time to exchange stories during their breaks.  
"Yes. That is right. And you, Baki-san, how long have you been a squad leader to... Kazekage-sama's three children?" Reina avoided the topic of her brother as much as she could. She trusted her companion, but not enough to tell him about the sabotage, or the fact that the 'accident' wasn't really an accident at all.

"Only for about a year... or less. Before that, it was Kazekage-sama who... cared for them." he replied, making a face when he said the words 'Kazekage' and 'care' in the same sentence.  
This didn't escape Reina's attention.

"Was the Kazekage-sama an... unfit leader for them?" she asked carefully, trying to prod further into the ninja's feelings and personal opinion, something that she was incredibly good at. No matter how many years of training a shinobi has had, she could most likely crack their mask.

The man sighed and ate a mouthful of rice, chewed slowly and swallowed before answering.  
"I'm not in a position to say anything about that. But I don't think that he has any leadership problems... Kazegake-sama just _isn't_ a flawless..." Baki seemed to forget what word he was trying to use.  
"... he wasn't a really good father to his three children, was he? First, with the daemon implant. Second, letting his wife, Karura-sama die. Third, not doing anything about it when his own son was hated by the village. Fourth, letting Gaara-sama turn... dark... so young. And last but not least, letting them go on this mission, unsupervised, alone, at their rank and age, no matter what their skill level." finished Reina for him.

Baki looked at her for a long time.  
"Not many people... would actually side with Gaara in this situation. I tried to get Kazekage-sama to let me go on the mission, but he was sure that they would be completely fine. He was wrong, yet again..." The jonin, blinked, realizing that he was starting to go too far. "Anyways. We should get going, if we want to make it by the end of tomorrow, at the earliest."

With that, they started to pack their camping equipment up and to eliminate all traces of their passage.  
Before they could start running, however, Reina asked Baki a question that she practically knew the answer of already. She, like most of Suna, wasn't fond of their leader's off-springs, but at this moment, she hated Kazekage-sama so much more.  
"Baki-san, your students... You worry about them. A lot." She nearly whispered, seeing the jonin in front of her clench his fists. She truly admired him, and considered him as one of the bravest in the village for taking his risky job of training the murderous jinchuuriki, and seeing him so angry made her heart clench.

Baki closed his eyes, opened them again, and started walking.  
"Those three... Were treated as weapons by their own father. He didn't see then as his children. Even _I_ probably consider them more like my family than he ever did. They... were my students. Even though they are different and dangerous, I was proud of them. I was proud to be their sensei. No matter what they thought of me or even if they are now dead, or maybe Gaara might have even eliminated his teammates himself, I will never forget what it was like to be the one teaching them how to improve. And to see them succeed every single time. They were truly my pride. I don't want them to leave this world. I believe in their capabilities. I believed in them."

A long silence ensured and, without a word, the Reina and Baki started their journey, thinking respectively about their brother and their students.  
They were each thinking the same thing.  
Please, let them be alive...

…

"Nggh... Ow... What the-...? Gaara! What the hell do you think you're doing?" moaned the older boy, peeking at his brother through his half closed lids. He felt a sharp jab to his side, and abruptly sat up.  
"What the heck was that for?" he wined, brushing the spot. He probably had a bruise there now.

The redhead looked at him silently before holding up a pointy stick.  
"Temari told me to wake you up. I called you, but you wouldn't budge, so she gave me this branch and said that it would work. And it did. So get up." he said flatly and walked out of the small shelter.  
Kankuro blinked, slightly surprised.

Since when did Gaara take orders? Or stupid ones that his freak of a sister gave him? Oh no, his little bro was starting to become like her. Or maybe not so much after all.  
The puppet-nin groaned and slowly stood up, then followed his brother into the bright sunlight.

He sat in the circle whilst Temari worked on an edible meal. When he joined them, she chuckled loudly.  
"Wow. I didn't think that you would do it literally Gaara. Nice to see you Kankuro! Eat up! Then we can go to the waterfall and do something peaceful and fun for the first time since we have arrived here."  
With that said, all three of them hurried to finish breakfast, packed some of their very few items and set off behind Gaara, who was their appointed tour guide. He had spent entire nights conscious on this island, which automatically made him the one with the most trustworthy sense of direction. And he had a natural sense of authority anyway.

After about five minutes of slow walking, their shinobi urge for speed and adventure caught on, and they all decided to run through the trees instead.  
"Hey Gaara! How are you feeling today? You seem to be in a good mood!" shouted Kankuro through the trees.

The jinchuuriki suddenly came to a halt, making his two siblings abruptly stop and land beside him, confused and worried.  
f"What did you just say?" he asked blankly, making his brother panic. Did he say something wrong?  
"Um... How are you feeling?" repeated the puppet-nin, slowly scratching the back of his head, glancing nervously at his sister, who just shrugged and stared at the redhead.

"Why?" asked Gaara, looking very confused, still staring at his brother, who still had no idea what was going on.  
"Um... I just wanted to know how you were feeling. And why you seemed so happy. Um, sorry, I guess that I should just mind-..."

"No. I... feel fine. We are all safe, healthy and about to do something... fun, together... That is why... I am not unhappy." The edges of the redhead's lips curled into an almost invisible smile, but both of his siblings saw it before it disappeared as fast as it came and got replaced by his signature blank face. "This is the first time that anyone directly asked me that... actually wanting to hear the answer."

Temari and Kankuro both grinned and all three of them continued running, each of them in a relatively peaceful and satisfied state of mind. After what had just happened, they were each more hopeful and determined to become a family than before.

After about half an hour of traveling silently they saw light ahead, followed it, and ended up in a place that not even their imagination could have summoned.  
They couldn't even have _thought_ of something this beautiful, for story books were for civilians.  
But Temari and Kankuro both gasped in aw at the scene in front of them, whilst Gaara was observing his siblings' reactions.

A huge waterfall was in the middle of this clearing, and was surround by a crystal clear pond of water, surrounded by shiny rocks and a few flowers and patches of grass dotted the area.  
It seemed surreal. How could have this idyllic place have been hidden on this lonely island all along, without any one them, apart from Gaara, knowing of it's existence?  
"Am I dead?" came Kankuro's voice, immediately breaking the enchantment. His sister growled and punched him in the arm.  
"Of course not you moron! We're alive! And this is _real_!" she laughed and dragged her two brothers closer to the rock pool. "Thank you so much Gaara! You are awesome!"

All three teenagers slowly entered the cool, clean, shiny pond, enjoying the peace and the complete silence of place apart from the rhythmic splashing of the waterfall. After about ten minutes of quiet, Temari stood up and carefully climbed onto some of the rocks that were right under the cascade, stood on them and let the stream of water spray over her head.  
She sighed. It felt like taking a shower, which was something that she had really missed. Wading around in a river just wasn't the same thing.

The kunoichi took a minute to soak in the feeling of freshness before walking back to her siblings.  
"Hey, you know... This place is the perfect training area. Calm. Isolated. No stress. And the water to cool off. Do you two want to continue our training on this island?" she asked, wringing the her hair out.  
Kankuro and Gaara both suddenly looked extremely excited. Well, Gaara looked as excited as he could.  
"Sure! I think that we are all probably a little rusty because of that... break we had, so getting back on track will help us a lot!" yelled the puppet-nin, running over to the bag that he had dumped onto the floor, retrieving a couple kunai.

With that, the trio started by choosing their targets. At first, they started with tree trunks, then, realizing that it was still too easy, they started aiming for branches, then single and multiple falling leaves to impale before they could hit the ground.  
That feeling they got when they hit a tiny leaf in it's center, when the blade pieced it and planted itself into a tree... They felt as if they were back in the training grounds in Suna, with their sensei.

They could all remember his strict words, urging them to better themselves. Unlike most people, he wasn't afraid of telling the Kazekage's three children what he thought of them, and was one of the rare people to be still alive after criticizing Gaara. But he was there for a reason other than to whisper about them behind their backs, and for that the three young shinobi thought about him.

Temari's thoughts then traveled to their father, who had sometimes, but rarely, stopped by to watch them train. He mostly came, observed, told Baki something, then left, just like that. No compliments for their hard work. No helpful advice or demonstrations.  
Not that they needed any. Ninja from Suna learned from experience and hard training, not from others help. That was just the way things were.

The kunoichi smirked to herself when she managed to get four tiny leaves with a single shot. Her aim wasn't perfect, but it was still impressive. She looked over at her brothers.

Kankuro was combining his chakra strings to his projectiles, so that he could launch and control them easily, especially with his experience and talent. She watched, grinning to herself, when the puppet-nin started running up and down trees like a maniac, launching and twisting his weapons around him, looking completely absorbed and had a small smirk lingering on his lips.

The girl then turned her attention to her other, younger brother.

Gaara was a little further off to the side, training on his own. He launched kunais into the air and then used sand to move around and retrieve them, after they had reached their target.  
Temari noticed that, whilst Gaara wasn't the most powerful thrower, he glided quickly, gracefully and sand would react and obey to him, even if it wasn't the chakra infused one he used to carry in his gourd. That proved that he had amazing control over his unique ability. She felt that he truly deserved his title: Gaara of the Desert.

Gaara of the Desert, who was no longer in the desert but on an island somewhere in the middle of the ocean, but still managed to live up to his name, even here, with no one but his siblings around.  
He was definitely strong. And only getting stronger.

After observing her two brothers, Temari couldn't help but feel extremely proud. Sure, they weren't what people would ideally want in a younger sibling. They weren't small, cute, obedient, adorable, quiet or lovable little boys. They were just so much better.

"Hey! I feel like sparring... Who wants to join?" shouted Temari, knowing the second that the words left her lips that sparring was something that they had all missed.  
Kankuro immediately ran over to her, excitement clear on his face, but Gaara hesitated and didn't move from his spot.  
"Gaara! Come on! We're waiting for you!" yelled the brunet, standing next to his sister.

Temari happily smiled to herself, and even more widely when the redhead slowly walked over to them with another nearly invisible twitch in his lips.  
He didn't even have to speak to let his siblings know that he was glad that he wasn't the odd one out anymore.

The three teenagers sparred for hours, enjoying the adrenaline and physical strain this activity had on them, and by the time they were tired out, they were covered in scratches and bruises. Except for Gaara, because even though his team had noticed the fact that he hadn't used his usual layer of sand on his body, his shield and his natural defensive instinct kept him well away from harm.  
"Gaara... I'm just wondering, why didn't you use your Sand Armor when Kankuro attacked you? He got past your Sand Shield that time and nearly touched you." asked Temari curiously, thinking that something was a little off. When she glanced over at the puppet-nin, however, he didn't seem to be asking Gaara those questions at all. She must be missing something.

The jinchuuriki looked up at her and nodded to himself. After a minute, he decided that there wasn't anything wrong with answering his sister's question.  
"Shukaku might have stirred when he saw the shipwreck, but even before that, he seemed to refuse cooperating. He doesn't give me as much sand protection as he used to. I think that he is angry at me for refusing to murder you." he said flatly.  
Temari blinked and gulped unconsciously.  
"Oh... But you can still control sand, right?" She dusted off her clothes and removed leaves from her hair.  
"Yes. I learned to control it so that Shukaku's power could be mastered, but now that I know how to infuse chakra with it, the knowledge can't be lost. Like Kankuro. Even if his puppets are lost, he can still use chakra strings and manipulate weapons." he answered, hoping that his reference to another ninja art would help his teammate understand.

It worked, and Temari nodded.  
"Oh OK, I get it. So you can still use sand, sand shields, sand armors and stuff, but Shukaku's own power you can't instinctively use right now because he is mad?"  
"Yes. I can still use his power, but not with just a thought. A few days ago, when Kankuro hit my shoulder, the sand didn't automatically form an armor to protect me."

Kankuro put his hands up defensively.  
"Hey! It was supposed to be a friendly clap between bros! I didn't know that you didn't have an armor..." he mumbled, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck.  
Gaara and Temari both watched him, secretly wondering if the strong, mature Kankuro and the current dumb and idiotic one where the same person, or if they were two of him.

After a minute, Kankuro started to get uncomfortable with all the staring.  
"OK. Weirdo number one and weirdo number two, if you don't mind, I am going to quickly wash up. Temari, your nails kept scratching me. Do something about those claws."  
With that said, the boy walked to the rock pools (dodging his sister's punch) and slowly slid in.

The kunoichi lifted an eyebrow and held her hand out, examining her nails. She groaned, finding out that Kankuro was right. She searched her pouch and found a pair of scissors.  
"Gaara, you can go ahead and join Kankuro if you want. I'm just going to give myself a quick manicure. Want to join me?" asked Temari jokingly, deciding which length she had to cut her nails.  
The redheaded boy gave her a long look then quickly walked over to his older brother, leaving his sister as she entered a world that most boys his age didn't completely understand.

Soon enough, though, all three ninjas were once again peacefully lying in the pond of crystal clear water. The soothing feeling was just too addictive.

The time passed comfortably in silence, but after some time, Temari decided to start a conversation.  
"Hey? Who do you two miss the most from back in Suna?"  
Gaara did not look ready to respond but Kankuro thought about it. He scratched the back of his head in concentration.  
"My puppets. Wait, they aren't human. Maybe sensei, just a little. No one else though... Most people I knew from Suna I could live without." he snorted. His sister's eyes widened and she moved so that she was sitting in front of him.  
"You too? I mean, it's strange... I thought that I would miss them, stuck here and all, but... I don't really miss my 'so called' friends. Those guys were fun to hang with, but I'm pretty sure that they wouldn't do for me what you two did." she smiled at her two brothers.

Kankuro smiled back at her, but Gaara looked completely confused.  
"What did we do?" he asked naively, looking slightly suspicious, a dark cloud settling in his eyes.  
Temari sighed and smiled sadly to her little brother. He looked so innocent but she knew that he was still... Gaara. All the wounds of his past could not have healed in such a short amount of time and he still didn't know how to completely trust them. But she could see how much he had improved. The kunoichi's heart tightened. They were now... almost real siblings, friends. Almost.

"They would have abandoned me when times were hard. But you two... I know that you wouldn't. Kankuro saved me so many times, and you, Gaara, have done so much to protect us, and you saved Kankuro's life. So... I'm really happy that you're here. I really am." she said softly, making Gaara intake a sharp breath in shock, but his face remained composed. Things like this, he had never heard very often. Only from Temari.  
"So am I! God, if you weren't here, I would be so screwed." mumbled the puppet-nin, looking up at the sky.

Gaara blinked and mimicked Kankuro's movement, tilting his head back and observing the clouds. After a moment, he sat up straight again, splashing the water around him.  
"Does that mean that... If I were to die, you would miss me?" he said cautiously, examining his siblings reactions from the corner of his eyes.  
They both raised a surprised eyebrow at him.  
"Duh. Of course we would man! Are you deaf or what? Did you hear all that we just- OW!" Kankuro, who had started yelling at Gaara in his face, was silence my Temari's underwater pinch and warning look. The girl then turned to the redhead as if nothing just happened.  
"What Kankuro had meant was, Gaara... You have always been someone who was very important to us, no matter how we acted before. Even if you didn't really use to care about our existence and thought of us as dead weight, we didn't think those things about you at all. Yes, we were intimidated, and sometimes scared, but you were still our brother above all of that. We worried and cared about you. What you thought _was_ important to us. So... Yes, I you died, we would really, really miss you. So don't die. We _want_ you to be here with us." said Temari taking in Gaara's shocked expression. The second she had finished talking, however, he put his blank mask back on. He seemed to do that whenever he needed to think, she noticed.

"Yeah. What Temari said." added Kankuro, sitting back against the rocks.  
Gaara nodded slowly, then looked up at his siblings.  
"I did use to think of you as just as two people who were stuck with me and slowed me down but... If it weren't for you, I probably would not be here... alive," Judging by the face the jinchuuriki made, it wasn't easy for him to admit that out loud. "I am glad that you are here. And that you... care for me. I... I would miss you too. Maybe." he added hastily, crossing his arms.

But his siblings knew that Gaara meant it anyway when he said that he would miss them. He just wasn't the type of person to easily admit that he had any feeling at all, let alone positive, loving feelings. He just couldn't, not after what had happened to him years ago when he had loved a person who had so cruelly betrayed him.

But still, he tried. For the only two people in this world to tell him how much they cared for him.

Some time passed in silence before Gaara suddenly had an idea that he thought that his companions might take interest to.  
"Temari. Kankuro. Do you want to go into the waterfall?" he asked.  
When their jaws dropped but remained silent for a few seconds, the redhead braced himself for the exclamation that he was certain was going to happen. It did.  
"What! _Inside_ the waterfall? Seriously? Are you kidding? That's freaking awesome dude! Show us! Show us! Show us!" hollered his two teammates, instantly up on their feet, practically dragging their brother to the cascade.

Only slightly shocked at their enthusiasm, Gaara climbed out of the rock pools and started walking into the forest.  
"You have to go around the clearing and scale the side of the hill. There is a hole in it, and if you go into the small cave, then you find yourself inside the waterfall." he explained quickly.  
Both of his siblings nodded vigorously, excited. There really weren't any waterfalls in Suna.

They walked until they reached a huge slope, which was actually a small mountain. They guessed that higher up was probably the source of the water, but they didn't need to go to the top. Gaara started cautiously climbing the steep slope, closely followed by his team. After a few minutes, they found an opening which they heaved themselves into.  
A few seconds later, the small, hollow cavern opened to reveal what was indeed the inside of the waterfall.

It resembled to a thick, silver curtain of water covering the opening. Kankuro slowly peeked over the edge, making sure to not get crushed by the heavy water pouring down.

He whistled.  
"Wow. That's a long way down." he said, stepping back and leaning against the humid rocky inside of the cave. Gaara nodded and made no move to approach the waterfall. It reminded him too much of the dangerous waves that he had had to deal with in the ocean during the shipwreck, but he had still come here because he knew that Temari and Kankuro would have found it interesting.  
His sister seemed indeed awestruck.  
"This is so cool. An area behind a waterfall!" she laughed, taking a step towards the opening.

Suddenly, many things happened at the same time.

Temari's foot landed on a slippery stone and she fell, towards the opening of the cavern, straight into the waterfall.

Kankuro launched himself at her, throwing her back roughly into the rock wall, into safety.

Gaara's eyes widened, panicked, and he stretch his hand to grab his brother's, but his palm closed around thin air.

All the sand in the clearing jumped up and sped toward the waterfall, but it all immediately melted when it came in contact with the liquid.

Temari's cry echoed endlessly as she watched as Kankuro disappeared behind the silver curtain of water.

…

**Yeah, sorry. A cliffy. I am just to evil to be true. I'll try to update earlier so that you don't have to wait too long to find out what happens next.  
So... I hope that you enjoyed that! One of the most eventful chapters yet! Tututudum! Poor Kankuro... **

**Merry Christmas and early Happy New Year to all of you wonderful readers out there all over the world!  
Oh and in the beginning of January, I will be absent for about ten days. I am going on a school trip to India with my class. I am looking forward to that, but it also means that electronic devices will be banned. No more writing. Unless I used a pen and paper, but I never really tried that. **

**Do not review. Do not click that button. And whatever you do, do not listen to my lame attempt at reverse psychology. So yeah... Please review! Or just read this story, and I am pretty happy already!**

**If you are a flamer, then please follow these instructions :  
1. Actually read my story.  
2. Make a list of all the things that you didn't like about it, with an explanation to each point.  
3. Open a dictionary.  
4. Type.  
5. Re-read  
6. Send  
7. Voila! You have just wrote a constructive, none idiotic review! Give yourself a round of applause and a pat on the back!**

**If you do not want to follow these instructions, then get lost. **

**Merry Christmas my wonderful, kind readers!  
XOXO ~ HimekoUchia (authoress, finally on holiday)**


	11. Disasters Again

**Hello readers!  
I have returned from my long trip to India some time ago and wrote about 1000 words of this story during the plane trip where I just wasn't tired enough to sleep (plus, my friends were walking around, drawing on sleeping peoples' faces then taking black-mail pictures) so I decided to stay up. ****I had a great time otherwise!**

**Now, on with the story! I kinda left you guys hanging with that huge cliffy in the last update and I apologize for it! I was necessary though! Thanks for being patient and reviewing! I love you all!  
****I do not own any characters of Naruto! I only semi-own my island (kudos to Alexander Dumas for that one) and random ninja people (Masashi-sama invented the species after all)!  
****I had to do loads of medical research for this chapter, but I apologize if it isn't 100% correct. Yeah, I'm not that patient with research.**

**Read on!  
Yay for line breaks!**

* * *

"Nothing."

The word echoed across the deck. Everything seemed to stop, including time. All that was heard was the sound of an occasional gasp as people got the message.  
Nothing.

Yuudai stood up.  
"What the hell do you mean, 'nothing'?" he shouted.  
The captain glared at him until he sat back down, then whispered into his walkie-talkie again. He was communicating with another ship's captain, and they were exchanging updates of their searches.  
After a minute, the man sighed and put the device back into his pocket before turning back to his own team.

Nothing. That was all they had heard.  
One word that meant so much, but explained so little.  
It was 'nothing'.  
And 'nothing' was definitely not enough for all the shinobi in the area.

"We captains have discussed the situation. It has been days and we haven't found any sign of life-..."

"So what? We have lost so much, we have come this far! We will keep on searching!" interrupted a young chuunin, getting up furiously.

"The storm has wiped away any signs that could have been! We realized that now. Anything that remains will be at the bottom of the ocean. Our boats aren't strong enough to cross the entire ocean, not even knowing where to search! We thought that we could have found a wreck but... nothing... Besides, supplies are running low."

The jonin was correct about his last point. The Kazekage had given them the bare minimum, especially for so many men. Just enough for only about one more day, counting the trip back to the village, and they had already been cutting back on consumption of goods. But no one had pointed it out to the powerful man before leaving. They all secretly feared him too much.  
The young chuunin, however, refused to give in.

"What about the second search party groups? They should all be arriving any day now! We cannot give up so easily so fast! It has hardly even been three days!"

"Kazekage-sama has instructed us to return as soon as possible, with or without finding anything. It is too dangerous for the village to have so many shinobi leave for a mission at the same time. It leaves Suna unguarded. Orders are orders!"

The entire deck's atmosphere seemed to turn to ice. So little time, with so little information. Some of the people started to wonder why the Kazekage had given them so little hope and possibilities, even with the safety of the village in consideration.

"This is insane!" yelled the young man across the space. "We have to find those people! I will not stand for this! The entire village will not stand for this! Those people could be alive, waiting, praying for us! My sister could be alive! I don't care what Kazekage-..."  
"Silence!" roared the jonin, making the chuunin cower and bow his head in shame and anger. "I am the leader here! And you may not speak of our village's ruler in that manner! As a shinobi, you must respect orders and put your home first! You mustn't be selfish! You are not the only one who had family on that boat! Many people did, including I! But if we starve out here, do you really want the village to have lost more shinobi, men and family?"

Nobody answered.

The chuunin, after a moment of silence, lifted his head and took a deep, ragged breath.

"You are the leader and you make the decisions on this mission. You want to abandon. To give up. Shinobi don't give up, they wait for the right time. If you were to continue on this mission, I would continue my hard work... I would struggle to live on little, because the rewards will be so much bigger. Our village... Home is where the people you love are. And some people are missing."

Silence roamed across the deck yet again and, after a moment of thought, Yuudai stood up.

"We will all remain hopeful. We are willing to live with the little we have left. We will never give up on our village's faith in us!" he said, looking out into the endless blue sea.  
Slowly, every single ninja on the boat stood up, eyes on their leader, waiting for him to cast his deciding vote.

Blinking, the jonin turned around, took out his communicator radio and talked into it, loud and clear.

"Turn all the boats around and head back for shore." There was a pause as the person on the other end of the line said something. "No. We will wait for every single one of those backup teams to arrive, restock a _lot_, then head out again... No. Kazekage-sama said to return as soon as possible, not to return after a few days. Anyway, it isn't possible to give up so quickly when all our shinobi are so enduring and hopeful... Yes. Pass the message on to the captains of team 2, 4 and 5."

The jonin switched off his communicator and turned around to face the assembly of ninja.  
Suddenly, the entire crowd erupted into applause.  
After a minute, the leader silenced them.  
"Enough. Kazekage-sama hasn't forbid us to have a 2nd search, or to prolong the mission. Back to your posts."

Everybody immediately bowed and obeyed.  
The captain returned to his controller's cabin and gazed out the window, in the general direction of the shore.

They could go back, collect food, resources and welcome their backups, then sail out again.  
After all, they were shinobi.  
Shinobi never gave up. They only waited for the right time.

* * *

Kankuro had fallen off of the waterfall.  
Temari and Gaara both gawked in shock at where he was standing a moment ago, before he had disappeared.

Then, reality sunk.

Their brother was gone.

The two teenagers quickly exchanged a composed look, but they could both see the horror in each others eyes, before running out of the cave and down the slope.  
Both of their minds were in panic. Temari felt like she was in a dream where all noises around you were all fizzed up. Gaara felt like a huge, gray blanket was thrown into his mind. Everything around them seemed like a unreal rush and no thoughts could be processed at that moment.  
Except for one.  
Kankuro.

When the two teenagers arrived at the bottom of the cascade, they both threw themselves into the water, searching for their brother.  
The cold splashing helped them snap out of their shock, so that they could move and think more swiftly and clearly.  
Suddenly, finding something, Temari let a out scream, before taking a deep breath and ducking underneath the waterfall, trying to ignore the slight pain of having the heavy curtains of silver liquid crash down onto the top of her head.  
Her hand closed around an arm, and she tugged at it until she successfully pulled Kankuro out of the water.

With Gaara's help, she carried his motionless body out of the pond and placed him onto the dry sand.  
The redhead then backed away to give his sister some space. He knew that he couldn't be of anymore help at this moment. He had never learned any first aid, or had any medical training at all. Never tried to learn anything that could have helped someone other than himself, because himself used to be all that mattered in his eyes. Gaara mentally bit his lip in guilt.

Kankuro didn't move at all, and his skin seemed an unhealthy white color, except for a crimson red gash on his forehead. The two conscious ninja feared the worse.  
Falling off of a waterfall from so high up wasn't something that most people escaped unharmed... or alive.  
Temari quickly checked the boy's pulse, on his wrist, neck and next to his windpipe.  
Gulping, she then shakily placed an ear to her brother's chest. Her breath got caught in her throat, then she sat up again.

Tears started streaming down her cheeks and she covered her mouth with a hand.  
"Gaara..." she whispered, turning her eyes towards the young jinchuuriki, who looked back at her, then at his immobile brother, not knowing what to think.  
"Temari... is Kankuro..." Gaara's eyes widened in shock. He couldn't say it. Why couldn't he say it? He had used that word so many times before. Death, something he normally inflicted on others. "... is he OK?"

"Gaara..." Temari wiped her tears away with the back of her hand, and, finding that right now, no words seemed to want to leave her mouth, she gently took the redhead's hand and placed it on Kankuro's stiff chest.

Gaara felt the coldness of his brother's skin underneath his fingertips. He felt that he was touching a smooth ice cube.  
Freezing, wet, hard and lifeless.  
But then he felt it.  
The tiny, tingling feel of a heart drumming faintly in the older boy's ribcage. Nearly imperceptible, but still there.

Kankuro was...  
"... he is still alive." said Gaara, looking up at his sister, who still had tears running down her face. She knew that shinobi shouldn't show any emotions at any time, and she was good at it. But at this moment, she simply couldn't help it and she smiled, nodded, before indicating Gaara to move aside so that she could place both of her hands on Kankuro's chest, and to shove it gently but firmly a few times, until the boy coughed up some water.

"Kankuro! Kankuro, can you hear me?" cried the kunoichi, running her fingers through the puppet-nin's brown hair.  
Kankuro didn't move a muscle or open his eyes, but his chest started to rise and fall more freely, now that his lungs were empty of water.  
Temari then gently starting feeling the boy's skull, chest and limbs. She blinked a few times.  
"Gaara? Could you please bring me the medic pouch? I left it by that tree." she nodded her head to show him. He did, and the kunoichi emptied the contents of the bag onto the ground.

"Not too bad... He only has a dislocated shoulder, a nasty cut that will need stitches, heavy bruising all over his body, a small fracture on his left radius and four broken ribs. Judging by the way he is breathing, I don't think that he has punctured any vital organs. It's a miracle. I hope that moving him didn't aggravate his injuries." she diagnosed, watching as Gaara slowly digested this information. Temari pushed chakra into her hands and moved Kankuro's shoulder back into place, then started bandaging his arm. Yes, it was very lucky..."It is very likely that he has a concussion. We will have to see when... _if_ he wakes up. And he probably will be sore for months..." she bit her lip.

If only she was back in Suna right now, then she could have brought her brother to a hospital for professional help. But since she was stuck on this island, she had to do her best with what she had and what she knew.

"This is amazing... He shouldn't even have survived that fall... He didn't even break that many bones... How is it possible?" asked Temari, mostly to herself.  
Gaara blinked a few times, wondering the same thing as his sister. Then, it struck him.  
"Temari. Before Kankuro fell out of the cavern, I remember..." he trailed off, turned around and slipped into the water, leaving his sister confused and curious.  
"What? What is it?" she questioned.  
Before answering, Gaara shoved his arms into the water, checking to see if his theory was correct. It was, and he pulled out an armful of wet sand.  
"I summoned all the sand in the clearing to stop him from falling, but it melted when it touched the water. All the sand ended up piling at the bottom of the waterfall, cushioning his fall..." said Gaara, frowning. This was probably the first time that his sand had saved someone's life, instead of taking it.

The jinchuuriki wasn't too sure what to think or feel. He didn't know how to react to the fact that his brother nearly died, but survived.  
All that he knew was that he was most definitely not upset or disappointed that Kankuro was alive. He was... relieved. Incredibly relieved.

Temari blinked and gasped.  
"Wow. Oh wow. Gaara... You saved our brother's life...again." she finally managed to stop crying and turned to smile at her youngest sibling.  
Gaara slowly climbed out of the pond, not knowing whether to say something, to nod, or to smile.  
He just shrugged nervously, not looking directly at his brother and sister.

When Temari had finished to bandage Kankuro's lower arm, tied it in sling and noticed that the blood gushing out of his forehead was starting to make Gaara uncomfortable, she realized that she hadn't brought a thread and needle to the waterfall. She searched the contents of the medic pouch, knowing that the rest of the bandages were back at the camp, for something to use to stop her older brother from bleeding to death. Not finding anything, she tore a strip of her shirt to use instead.

"Gaara... We have to bring him back to the camp. I need to stitch him up. Can you lift him up with your sand without moving any part of him?" asked the kunoichi, wiping her bloody hands on the ground and shorts.  
The jinchuuriki nodded, did a hand seal and lifted his palms towards the sky.  
All of the sand underneath Kankuro slowly levitated into the air, making the boy seem as if he were lying down on a large, beige bed, slightly stained red from the blood that had poured out of his wound.

Temari nodded at Gaara, then they started walking back into to their camp, making sure that Kankuro wasn't moved too much.  
It took them nearly two hours, but they were eventually back in their little sheltered clearing, with their unconscious brother in tow.  
Gaara carefully made the sand set the puppet-nin down onto his bed of leaves.  
Temari followed him and rummaged through the ripped backpack in the corner of the hut, taking out what she needed. She then exited the room, lit a small flame in the fire-pit and sterilized the needle.

The redhead made a quick mental note of what his sister was doing, in case he would have to do the same in the future. He secretly hoped that none of his siblings would be falling off of waterfalls again, and not only because Shukaku loved the smell of a dying person.

Temari returned and threaded the needle before grabbing a small, clean cloth to wipe the blood off of Kankuro's forehead so that she could see his wound.  
She bit her tongue.  
"Kankuro... Please wake up soon, but not right now... I hope that you won't feel this..." she sighed and started stitching the gash up.  
Apart from one or two winces from the boy, he showed no signs of being conscious or feeling the needle.

Time slowly passed, Gaara and Temari both silently counted how many stitches it took to close up the wound as they appeared underneath the kunoichi's agile hands.  
One... Two... Three...  
In the end, they counted fourteen stitches, then the cut was finally closed.  
Both teenagers let out a breath they didn't know they were holding.  
Temari cleaned, disinfected and properly bandaged her brother's forehead, then it was over.

All they had to do now was wait for him to wake up.

* * *

Many hours had passed and Kankuro had not even stirred.  
Temari was working on a late lunch for Gaara and herself, always keeping a close eye on her brunet brother.  
Blinking and looking away, she sighed.  
The redhead noticed.  
"What?" he asked, detaching his eyes from the tree he was scrutinizing.  
His sister shook her head and bit her lip, glaring at the food between her hands. She wanted to scream, cry and punch someone, but her self control was better than that.  
"I just... can't believe he is in this state again... And it's my fault... again. And that you saved his life... again." she muttered, running her fingers in her hair.

Gaara gave her a long look, before getting up and slowly, uncertainly walking over to his sister to sit beside her.  
Temari didn't look up at him.  
"Do you wish that I didn't save him?" asked the jinchuuriki.  
The kunoichi gasped and snapped her head towards him.  
"No! I didn't mean that... I just mean that... This is the second time that Kankuro ends up in such a horrible state because of me. The first time was when he ran out of the camp and got lost, stuck in the freezing rain. Because he wanted to make me happy. And you saved his life. And now... He looks as if he is going to die again... All because he tried to save me! I was going to fall, but he pushed me back! It should have been me instead!" Temari growled at herself in anger.

Gaara lifted an invisible eyebrow at her.

"I am sure that Kankuro would never regret saving your life." he said, tracing shaped into the sand he was sitting on.  
His sister stared at him for a long time, before gulping down a lump of tears that threatened to spill.  
"That is the problem! He saved me again... And I am here now, fine, and he is there... He is only there because you saved him! If it weren't for you, our brother would be dead! Why? Why am I always the one to end up causing this?" cried Temari, clenching her fists. "I'm telling you! The next damn time, I'm the one that's going to be protecting you! It won't be you, or Kankuro! You are my little brothers! I'm your big sister! And I keep failing... Again and again..."

She turned her head away from her little brother so that he wouldn't see her cry again.  
She hated this so much. She hated everything. Being unable to help. Being the one to watch as her siblings risk their lives to protect and save her. Crying. She hated crying so damn much. She was stronger than this! She was always stronger than this! Why not now? Why did she feel like the weak link? Why could she cry now, in front of Gaara, over Kankuro's immobile body? Just like she had when she was in the cave with the redhead, watching as the rain fell, and Kankuro was out all alone in the night. And she was crying _again_.  
Temari roughly rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand, looking back at the food she was preparing.

"Here. It's ready." Without turning around, she handed Gaara his meal, which he took.

After a long silence, the boy finally spoke up.  
"You aren't failing... You... feed and care for us. You managed to make sure that Kankuro was alright. You bandaged, healed and stitched him up. I would have been... _unable _to." Gaara winced a little as he admitted his weak points. "That doesn't seem like a fail to me. If you were a failure, then Kankuro and I would probably be dead. If your goal is to protect us, then you are doing fine."

Temari gawked at Gaara in awe.

He truly had changed. He had changed the second that boat sunk. When Shukaku had invaded his mind. When Kankuro was lost in the rain and he had comforted her. When they were at the wreckage site, and he had buried the bodies. And now, yet again.  
"The kunoichi wiped away the last of her tears, smiled widely at her little brother and, without any hesitation this time, gave him a one armed hug, juggling her lunch in the other.  
"You are actually pretty good with words and speeches, little brother. With that talent, you could convince our father to hand over the position of Kazekage to you! Uh... Maybe not. But still! Don't keep to yourself so much! Talk! I actually like listening to you when you speak about-..."

Suddenly, a groan came from the small shelter.

"Kankuro!" gasped Temari and Gaara, both leaving their half eaten food on the ground and rushing into the shelter to a puppeteer who was breathing in an almost hysterical way.  
His eyes were unfocused, terrified and wandering around the cave ceiling, as if trying to find something.  
"Kankuro!" spoke the kunoichi again, this time firmly. "You have to calm down and take deep breaths!"

The brunet didn't seem to hear her, but he started relaxing anyway, until his chest rose and fell in a more peaceful manner.  
Then, the boy took a sudden deep breath, groaning in pain as his broken ribs poked his inside.  
He shifted his eyes towards the opening of the shelter, seeming to notice his siblings for the first time. His eyes widened with fear, pain and confusion.

Gaara knew that look. He had seen it on his own face whenever he used to look in the mirror when he was a little kid.

Why? Why me? What happened? Why does it hurt so bad?

"Temari said that you have heavy bruising all over your body, a fractured arm, dislocated shoulder, broken ribs and a cut open forehead." said the jinchuuriki, answering his brother's mute question. "She also mentioned a concussion. Do you have a concussion or do you not?" asked the boy naively.  
His sister sighed and put a hand on his shoulder.  
"Gaara... Kankuro is probably in major shock. That fall put an enormous amount of strain on his body and mind. Give him some time." whispered the girl before turning to the puppet-nin with a smile. "Don't use your energy to talk if you don't feel well. Try to get better, OK? Now... Are you thirsty, Kankuro?"

The boy's eyes widened, clearing indicating that yes, he was parched.  
Gaara got up, picked up a pan from the bag-pack and started to walk towards the river. His sister smiled after him, before remembering something.  
"Oh! Wait, Gaara! Kankuro isn't in a very good state, so it is probably a good idea if you boil the water well. He might throw up if you don't. Thanks."

She turned back to the brunet, who eyed Gaara as he did as Temari had instructed.

The jinchuuriki, all in the not-so-sanctity of his mind, was glad that he could be useful to Temari.  
Watching her heal and care for Kankuro made him realize on how very much he missed out on, and how very little he knew about the art of helping another.  
Sure, he had saved his siblings spontaneously quite a few times since they had arrived on this island, but he still didn't know the basics about healing. He had no idea that giving raw river water to a person who was physically, mentally, exhausted and weak was a risk that he shouldn't take.  
He had no idea why he suddenly wanted to know these things. It wasn't as if he would want to heal anyone... or if anyone would let him touch them.  
He could help his team, at least.

Gaara had seen Kankuro take care of Temari on the first day here, when she was the one who had been severely injured.  
He had seen Temari take care of Kankuro twice now.  
And, of course, he remembered so well when they had taken care of him, when he had been unable to even feed himself after having Shukaku invade his mind and attack his siblings.  
Gaara realized that if Temari and Kankuro had been injured at the same time, leaving him in charge of their well being, he would not have been able to do anything.

He could save, but not care for.  
It almost made him feel like the weak link for the first time in his life.  
And he refused to be the weak one.

The boy boiled the water before handing it his sister.  
"Thank you Gaara. Could you help me make him sit up without moving any of his broken bones?" she asked.  
The redhead nodded.

After a few minutes and pain-filled groans from the puppet-nin, they had managed to hold him up.  
"OK. Kankuro, the water is very hot, so you will have to wait a short second. And don't take big sips, you'll overload yourself." said Temari, finding a small metal cup in the bag-pack to use.

God, how she loved this bag-pack.

When the boy had finished all of the water, his siblings helped him back into a more comfortable position.  
Kankuro still looked a little fearful and confused, that was to be expected after what had happened, but Temari and Gaara both started to get a little worried.  
"OK, Kankuro... You can rest. Gaara and I will be right here, so if you need anything, just let us know."  
With that said, the the jinchuuriki and Temari both quickly finished their forgotten lunch. The blond had asked the puppeteer if he was hungry, but he had looked away with a strange look on his face, and the kunoichi had guessed that that meant 'no'.

In the next few hours, Temari and Gaara both made sure that Kankuro had all that he needed.  
Whenever they tried to talk to him, however, he just looked away, looking confused.

Finally, Kankuro coughed lightly and said in a rasped voice:  
"H...Hey."

Both of his siblings immediately rushed to his side.  
"Kankuro! You can speak again! How are you feeling?" asked Temari softly.  
The brunet looked from her to Gaara.  
"Uh... Hm... Pain. Better I g..guess. Thanks. You... You guys are cool... but... Can I ask you something? Don't get mad..." spoke Kankuro in a soft voice, licking his lips every few seconds. He found that it made it easier to talk.

Temari and Gaara both frowned and exchanged a look.  
They both got a strange feeling that something wasn't right, but didn't admit it out loud.  
After a small silence, the kunoichi beamed at her injured brother.  
"Of course, Kankuro! What is it?" she encouraged.

The boy looked warily but guiltily between the two young people who were both staring at him, waiting. He feared their reaction, but sighed, gulped, and opened his mouth.  
"Um... Who are you?"

* * *

**Oh, great, yet another cliffy. I didn't do it on purpose this time, but I had to finish this chapter before leaving the country at the end of the week (Asian New Year break). Who knows when will be my next chance to update?  
Well, hope you liked it! A little more is known about Temari and Gaara's feelings about the situation. Hopefully, their insecurities will make them seem more human.  
****And Kankuro... poor Kankuro...  
****Well, read, love, and review if you feel like it! I'll give you cookies!  
Plus, have you read my other story 'Hinata and the Orange Juice!'? If you didn't, you could check that out, and if you already have, then I'm letting you know that you can expect an update for that story in the near future. Yay!  
XOXO ~~~ HimekoUchia**


	12. It Shouldn't Be About Me

**I have updated this very late. I am so sorry guys! Thanks for a few kick butts too! I was caught up in my other stories, random one shot about the Kazekage and Gaara (a happy one), and life. Plus, this story is the hardest to write out of all, and I hit a writer's wall.  
But I do have the story planned out, and I will finish it, and update as regularly as I can.  
Thanks for reviews and reading my story! I do not claim ownership to the Naruto world or it's inhabitants. Masashi-sama. That's for your lawyer.  
Enjoy the chapter! It was probably one of the hardest to write! It brings us deeper in the non existent bond the Kazekage had with his family!**

* * *

Reina laughed with Baki as they shared stories of their lives whilst running full speed, intending to arrive at the pier before the end of the next day at the latest. Time. Time was crucial to save people. However, nothing stopped them from getting to know each other whilst traveling.  
"Really? He did? Aw... That's... Kind of cute!" she chuckled.  
"It was, actually. I'm telling you, people might consider Gaara as a terrifying beast but, on the inside, he is just one big baby sometimes. He once saw a huge spider next to him and he acted as if everything was cool but we all saw him slowly edge away from it, hoping that we wouldn't notice. He's human. People just don't see it because of his demon." continued Baki, reminiscing about the rare good times he had spent with his team.

Reina's clear laugh rang out again and she slammed a hand over her mouth to keep it in.  
She normally didn't talk to her mission companions, let alone laugh with them. Actually, she simply didn't laugh much, period. But this man was truly amazing, interesting and was such a caring sensei deep, deep down. If it weren't for the fact that everyone knew that Baki's students where the Kazekage's children, she would have thought that their roles were opposite. Baki was the loving father, and the Kazekage was the grouchy sensei.  
She was so happy that she ended up placed with him. It made her travel less dull and made her forget, maybe just for a second, about all the pain and death that the shipwreck had caused.

She hoped, secretly, that he would join her and her brother on their search for the shipwreck, that she more or less located the area of. She had a feeling that the search party wouldn't even consider going as far as that. But he seemed to be the type of guy who always followed protocol and saving those people was more important to her than her new friendship.  
However, she enjoyed being with him. He was so good at telling stories that it almost made her like the Kazekage's disappeared children. Almost.

* * *

This wasn't happening.  
Gaara and Temari stared at the guilty looking Kankuro, then at each other.  
Were they hallucinating? No, he actually said that.  
Once again, they had lost their brother. But in a different way this time.

Temari drew in a ragged breath and placed a hand on Kankuro's shoulder.  
"You... You don't remember who we are?" she whispered, knowing the answer anyway.  
The puppet-nin slowly shook his head and smiled lamely.  
"I'm sorry. But, judging by the way you two have treated me since I woke up, I think that I should..." he trailed off, inspecting his siblings curiously. "So... Who are you guys?"

Temari slowly closed her eyes and sighed.  
"Oh no... Please, no... Why him?" she whispered, scratching her forehead with her trembling hand, realizing that this was a very serious reality.  
But Gaara didn't understand.  
"What? What are you talking about, Kankuro? You _know _who we are!" he growled, getting frustrated. Why was his brother acting so dumb? This wasn't the least bit funny! He nearly died falling off of a waterfall, for crying out loud!

The puppet-nin flinched at the redhead's murderous tone.  
Temari placed an arm around her youngest sibling's shoulders and turned him away from the brunet.  
"Neh, Kankuro? Give us a moment, 'kay?" she smiled at the boy and led Gaara out of the shelter.

Once outside, the jinchuuriki tore his himself away from his sister.  
"Temari. What is going on?" he asked, fists clenched in anger.  
The girl gulped and crossed her arms nervously.  
"Gaara... Kankuro has... amnesia. That fall made him lose his memory. He can't remember who we are. I don't know what he can or cannot remember, which is why we have to be patient with him, to help him. Okay?" she said, letting the information sink in.

For a second, she feared that the boy would become furious and attack Kankuro, but he seemed strangely calm. He blinked and looked at her.  
"Kankuro... Can not remember us? Even if he is our brother?" His eyes showed so many emotions. Hurt, confusion, pain, lost.  
"No. He can't. He might remember some things, but not who we are. That is for sure."

The redhead stayed silent for a moment then nodded, looking completely horrified.  
Temari let out the breath she didn't know she was holding, and pulled the boy into a quick hug.  
"Gaara. Kankuro might not be gone forever. This_ might_ be temporary. But I don't know if it really is... Don't look at me like that! I don't know! We have to try to make him remember!"

Gaara nodded yet again, looking as if his mind were no longer in this world.  
So many, many things he didn't even know were possible. And the world has decided to teach them to him this way. He felt frustrated.  
But for the first time in his life, he realized that... This _wasn't _about him. It was about Kankuro.  
How could Temari automatically prioritize other people so easily, when it took him hours of thought just deciding whether or not he should go after his brother the day he ran out alone into the rain?  
He knew that he was selfish, but it was the world that made him so. It was his only defense against the pain his uncle and father had caused him. The wound of the heart.  
It truly was the worse of them all.

Hopefully, being with his siblings would help him open up, without getting destroyed again.  
Gaara mentally hit himself.  
He was doing it again... making it about him.

* * *

"My name is Temari. I am your older sister. And Gaara is our little brother. We all have the same father, who is more or less an asshole. He is the leader of our village. We are on this island because we had a little accident. You can ask me any question you want, OK?" the kunoichi smiled and introduced herself to her own sibling, who smiled back.  
"Um..." his eyes trailed towards Gaara who was sitting crossed legged on the floor, mind in the distance. "Is... Gaara feeling OK? And what about our mother?"

He noticed that both of the people in front of him visibly flinched at the mention of the Kazekage's late wife. He made a mental note to never ask them about their shared mom ever again.  
The redheaded boy answered the first question, swaying awkwardly and making a face.  
"I... am feeling fine. What about _you_? How do _you_ feel?"  
Temari glanced at him in shock. She had never heard Gaara say something like that before. He must have something on his mind. She resolved to asking him later, but replied to her eldest brother's request first.  
"Our mother died during birth because our father sealed... something inside of Gaara, which made her lose her life. She was nice, I guess. She had short dirty-blond hair, brown eyes and a soft smile whenever she wanted to."  
The redhead didn't react too badly, so the kunoichi guessed that it was the right answer.  
Kankuro laughed quietly whilst staring right at Temari.  
"You mean... Our mother has your smile?"

His sister looked at him, taken aback. She then glanced at Gaara.  
"No... She had Gaara's smile. Your eye color but my eye shape. A mixture of your and my hair. Gaara's face shape. We all definitely inherited parts of her." she bit her lip, suddenly filled with nostalgia. She could remember her mother so well, as if she were still there. She had known her for the longest and at this moment was the only person who wished that she was there with them.

The puppet-nin nodded and smiled, then turned towards his brother to answer his question.  
"I'm feeling fine! Nice of you to ask. The... weather is comfortable."  
He and Temari both chuckled softly and the redhead shook his head in amazement, the corners of his lips lifting up. He then frowned and wondered if that was how his mother used to smile.

During the next few hours, they described life in Suna to Kankuro, hoping that he would remember something, anything, that might unblock the rest of his memory. Nothing yet. They then told him about the shipwreck, leaving out a few gory details that might be too much for his injured mind to handle at this moment.  
He nodded and listen, complimenting his siblings' narrative skills occasionally, making Temari smile but making Gaara twitch in exasperation. He wasn't as patient as his sister.

The entire day had passed but the puppet-nin hadn't been illuminated about a single thing. The kunoichi fed her team before forcing her eldest brother to sleep, knowing that he needed his recovery time. After changing his bandages and washing the bloodied ones, she noticed that he was right about the family having an amazing immunity system and recovery rate. But he was most definitely still injured.  
She and Gaara exchanged a look.  
"He couldn't remember..." said the redhead, taking his watch spot outside of the shelter, looking up at the moon like he always did.

"It takes time. At least we now know that this is a long-term memory retrograde amnesia." Gaara stared at her as if she had spoken another language. "It means that he lost more or less everything in his mind. It's normally small details or faces. He still remembers how to speak and laugh, so it's probably only a small part of his brain that was damaged. Retrograde means that he forgot things that happened before losing his memory. The opposite would have been not being able to remember things that happen after. They both suck. I hope that Kankuro finds his memories soon too. You did well today, little brother. Goodnight." She placed a hand on his shoulder, before slowly entering the small hut, knowing that the jinchuuriki would have a long, thoughtful night.

* * *

The next day started off like they normally did before Kankuro had lost his memory. Temari would wake and cook breakfast, chatting with Gaara.

"Temari... What can we do?" asked the redhead, absentmindedly making sand swirl around him as he traced random patterns onto the ground. The kunoichi sighed.  
"I don't know... I took a few medic courses, but they just mostly told me how each sickness was called, basic healing, like the one I used to relocate Kankuro's shoulder, and cures to the most common diseases. They did mention a little about amnesia though... But the answer is pretty simple. To make the victim regain memory, you normally should try to remind him about his past, but that didn't work. Sometimes, it simply takes time."

Gaara looked deep in though, which reminded his sister about what she was thinking about the day before.  
"Gaara, I forgot to ask you yesterday but... Why did you act so... different? You spend the entire afternoon asking Kankuro is _he_ was feeling fine, if _he_ was OK. Are _you_ OK?" she continued her cooking but kept an eye on her brother, observing his reactions. His face was void of emotion but, after a moment of hesitation, he answered.  
"I... I was trying to be less selfish so that... Kankuro won't hate me. So that you won't hate me." He said it softly, not wanting to shout out his problem for the world to hear.

Temari nearly dropped the pot of boiling water over herself in shock. How could he still think things like that after all this time?  
Setting the pot down carefully on the ground, she walked over to Gaara and crouched down so that he could see her eyes, filled with honesty and remorse.  
"You might have acted... difficult sometimes, but, Gaara, deep down, I know that you have a heart of gold. Your mind was clouded with the darkness because of our guardians but inside you are still our little five year old brother, incredibly kind, but so much more misunderstood. Of course, you have grown stronger in every way and are much more experienced now. Plus, you are starting to get how this _damn _crazy world works again." She grinned at him when the corners of his lips twitched up. "Kankuro doesn't hate you. Actually, I'm pretty sure he adores you now, with all that attention you gave him yesterday. And Gaara, as I have told you many times, I don't hate you. Never did, never will. I love you little brother. Get it through your thick skull, OK?" She chuckled and placed a pointed finger on the redhead's love kanji tattoo, making the boy blink and nod slowly.

Right at that moment, Kankuro limped out of the shelter, grinning so brightly, he didn't look the least bit in pain, even with bandages holding his forehead together. Not to mention a re-located shoulder and broken ribs.  
"Good morning Temari! Good morning Gaara!" he called out happily, sitting down next to his siblings.  
The kunoichi moved away from the redhead and carefully gave the older boy a one armed hug.  
"Hey. You look as if you are in a good mood today." she raised her eyebrow when he tried to clap his hands together, but resorted to snapping his fingers when he realized that it wasn't possible with one arm in a sling.  
"Of course I am! Why wouldn't I be? I am stuck in this awesome place with two awesome people! My brother and sister too! Sure, I don't really know you and I'm kinda sore, but that is going to change right?"

Temari and Gaara both exchanged an awkward look. They both hadn't expected this at all.  
"Um... Glad to hear that, Kankuro. Are you hungry?" She handed him and Gaara some food and they started their breakfast.

The jinchuuriki continued to stare at the other boy, flipping the words he had spoken in his head.  
Awesome place? Awesome people?  
Did Kankuro really think that? Gaara didn't find this place the least bit 'awesome'. Sure, he had thought it was peaceful but he now realized the danger it was. It had nearly killed his brother twice.  
The part that had shocked him the most was what his brother thought of him. He guessed that Temari was right, and that Kankuro didn't hate him after all. But the redhead feared that it was only because the puppet-nin couldn't remember the horrible things he had done. If he remembered, then he would probably hate him. Or maybe not... Since Temari hadn't lost her memory and she had told him that she loved him again.  
Gaara really hated being confused, but the feeling seemed to return so much more often ever since he had arrived on this island.

The meal passed quickly and the three teenagers were sitting awkwardly, not knowing what to do. The girl of the group checked her brother's injuries again, smiling when she saw that they looked less raw and painful compared to the day before. Suddenly, Kankuro lifted his head.  
"Hey... I've wanted to ask you guys since last night... Which one of us made that shelter? It looks great. Could do with some improvements though..." He frowned and stood up slowly, then made his way over to the hut. "Hm... The door looks as if it were made too quickly. And the fire pit could be much better than that."  
He wrinkled his nose as if seeing under average things made him bitterly disappointed with the world.

Gaara mentally gasped and realized what could be the perfect way to make Kankuro remember his past. By making him do the things he loved doing the most.  
"Kankuro. You should try remaking them." suggested the redhead, seeing Temari's eyes widen in realization. Before she could agree with Gaara, Kankuro beat her to it.  
"Yeah! Yeah! That seems like fun!"  
Gaara was going to explain to the boy how to woodwork, since compared to Temari, he knew much more about it, thanks to Kankuro's advices. But before he could even open his mouth, the puppet-nin had already retrieved the correct equipment and wood to fix their door, using only his right hand, since his left arm was still tied in a sling.

The redhead and his sister watched silently for hours as their brother turned a few branches into something wonderful and amazing. As if he had never forgotten how to and maybe he never had. Temari was starting to understand the boy's situation: he couldn't remember anything about them or their village, but his mind and hands were always made for wood, so that he couldn't erase from his memory. It was part of him in some ways.  
Gaara observed his brother with a signature blank face, but his sister noticed the confusion and awe in his eyes. He didn't completely get how amnesia worked, but he was starting to learn.

When Kankuro finished making the door perfect in his eyes, he grinned and jumped back.  
"Hey! Looks pretty good! What do you think, Temari and Gaara? Do you think that it looks better now?" he laughed happily, looking absolutely ecstatic.  
His siblings were amazed to see how childishly cheerful he was. They both felt a twinges of pain in their hearts, but for slightly different reasons.  
Temari was a little hurt that Kankuro seemed so much more happy not remembering anything. Not the village. Not his family. Not her.

Gaara knew that nothing he did could ever make another person this happy. He didn't even know how to make himself happy, but somehow, others did sometimes. He wondered if _he_ lost his memory, if his mind would be erased of all his dark past, maybe he could have stood around laughing as well.  
The jinchuuriki gulped and blinked hoping that his slightly jealous feeling would fade away. He hated feeling things like this. It was stupid and it wasn't fair for his brother. But he simply couldn't wish the thoughts away. His mind was covered in scars. Scars that made him think of himself much more than he knew he should. He couldn't believe that it took losing his brother to realize it.

"It is very nice, Kankuro. How did you know how to make the door?" smiled Temari, curious and wondering if there was anything else that he knew how to do instinctively.  
"I dunno... I just remembered. It really isn't that different from making puppets after all." The boy grinned as his siblings' eyes widened in shock. Surprisingly, they had forgotten to tell him about his puppets. "Hey! Don't get too excited! The wood thing... It click somewhere in my head. It is something I used to do. Something that I was pretty good at too, huh? But that's about it..." he scratched his head guiltily.

Gaara was half glad, but half disappointed. He remembered puppets, but he couldn't remember him? Why? The boy sighed and gave his brother an encouraging nod, telling him that he was happy way deep inside.  
Temari jumped to her feet and hugged Kankuro.  
"That's great! It's a pretty good start. Puppets. Do you remember what you did with them?" she asked, pulling away from the boy. He shook his head.  
"Apart from making them... And hiding weird, dangerous crap in them... No."  
His sister racked her brains, trying to figure out what to do next.  
Ah, she could have a training session with her brothers! But... He was still healing and, with broken ribs, anything remotely athletic could severely hurt him. Maybe if he just watched Gaara and her do some sparring? She thought that it was a good idea, but decided against making Kankuro move from the camp to the forest right now, since this was only his second day after his accident and not only could he probably get tired easily, but the smell of his drying blood could interest more than Shukaku.

She was snapped out of her reveries when Kankuro cleared his throat, seeming to think very hard about something.  
"Um... Temari... Am I a ninja?" he asked. "'Cause that's the only reason I can think of as to why I would carry around a poisonous gas filled puppet on my back."  
The kunoichi laughed out loud at the question, realizing something. Her brother was starting to regain his memory all on his own, by piecing together small details and coming to conclusions. This was a good thing, but the girl knew that there was always a dark side as well as a light side in everything. Even if the light side was that he was remembering slowly but surely, there was obviously a danger to an amnesiac person forming his past with a few given memories.  
But at that moment, Temari was too happy to give it a second thought.

"Yes! And if I may say so, we three are the best ninja of our age group... and entire village for that matter. Hah! Our father? Most powerful and terrifying guy in Suna? My ass. Sure, he's not bad at fighting, but he sucks at about everything else." answered the kunoichi, smirking confidently.  
Kankuro frowned in confusion, making his sister's smile drop and Gaara fixed his gaze on the boy, wondering what could be nagging at him.

"I... don't understand. Why do you hate our father so much? I mean, he is our _father_ after all, right? What could he have done to us that was so bad? He can't be _that_ horrible." said the boy, instantly regretting the words when he saw the absolutely furious looks in his siblings' eyes.

He braced himself, ready to get yelled at by Temari, but didn't expect Gaara to be the one to reply. When he met the redhead's gaze, it's intensity and anger seemed to burn a painful hole in Kankuro's chest.  
"Yes, he _can_ be that horrible. He is not our father. He killed our mother by sealing a monster inside of me. He tried to kill me when I couldn't control the monster. He asked our _uncle_ to kill me, knowing that it would kill me on the inside! He treated us like monsters! Because of him, I _became_ a monster! Because of him, everyone in our village hates me and want nothing more than to see me _dead_!" The boy started out in a low hiss but ended up shouting at his brother.

Temari blinked in shock, stared at her feet and couldn't help feeling guilty. Never had she seen Gaara like this and she felt that her brother's loneliness was partly her fault, since she had never made any real effort to connect with him until the shipwreck, when her brothers were all she had left in the world.  
Kankuro took a step back in surprise and his jaw popped open.  
"What the hell? That's crazy! How could anyone do that to their own kid? In what fucked up world do we live in? You're twelve!" gasped the brunet, eyes wide in horror.  
Gaara sneered and crossed his arms.  
"In what world do _you _live in, Kankuro? This is reality. We are all part of it."

Temari lifted her head and put a hand on the junchuuriki's shoulder, not sure if she was trying to be comforting or if she was trying to get him to stop scaring Kankuro. Gaara didn't acknowledge the touch, but didn't push her way either. He wasn't sure if he needed or wanted any of his sister's comfort at this moment. He was angry. He knew that he was being unreasonable, turning his anger on Kankuro, but he couldn't help it. He just loathed his father so much.  
However, the puppet-nin might have lost his memory, but his talent for making sure to hit all Gaara's dangerous spots was still there.  
"Gaara, why didn't you kill him or something? If our madman of a father was trying to harm you, why didn't you stop him?"

The jinchuuriki opened his mouth to shout at his brother again, but his throat went dry when he realized that he didn't really have an answer to that.  
Why? Why hadn't he ever tried to kill the Kazekage? Was it because he knew the consequence with the village if he did? Or was it because before Yashamaru had betrayed him and revealed that his father had sent assassins after him, his young six year old self had still believed the Kazekage to be his daddy? The daddy that every son loved and looked up to, simply because a six year old kid couldn't hate his own father even if the man never even looked at him. He used to be innocent. His father's betrayal had made him a monster. He was no longer six.  
But that still didn't answer Kankuro's question. Why hadn't he ever tried to murder his father? The man never had any remorse trying to kill him.  
"... I am not like him."

It was hardly more than a whisper, but Kankuro and Temari heard him loud and clear.  
The kunoichi drew in a shaky breath. No, Gaara was nothing like their father. Even if he had threatened them, her little brother had never tried to kill any of his family members before. He couldn't do it because... he wasn't a monster. Her father was. He was the demon. He was the demon that haunted their family. He always had been, but simply blamed it all on Gaara, knowing that the redhead wouldn't do anything about it. Gaara had always taken the blame, accepted it and shut himself off from the world. The Kazekage had made her baby brother believe that he was a monster and Temari, looking into Gaara's eyes, saw that he still believed it.

Without thinking, the girl wrapped her arms around Gaara, pulling him close to her.  
"No. You were never like him. You were always so much better than that monster." She gently rubbed the boy's back until he relaxed and calmed down.  
Kankuro watched silently, feeling left out, wishing that he had stopped the young boy from being in so much pain. Most of all, he wished that he could remember.

* * *

**OK, wow about time huh?  
For once the end is not a cliff hanger. I seem to live off of those. So yeah, a non stressful ending this time.  
Thanks for those who haven't abandoned me through my endless thinking time. I'm sorry for taking so long. It's here. Hope you enjoyed it! I probably don't deserve it, but I will appreciate all reviews :)  
Love you all readers!  
XOXO ~~~ HimekoUchia**


	13. People Of The Past

**NOPE I AIN'T DROPPING THIS FIC! Thanks for the kick butts!**

**Wow, this is getting harder and harder to write. This is once again late. Sorry guys. I won't abandon it. That I promise.  
I learned that the best part of a rugby tournament was watching security trying to tackle the drunk men streaking across the field.  
I own Naruto... Yeah, right.**

**Thank you so much for reviewing the last chapter and making it the most reviewed And Now I'm Stuck Here With You chapter. Y'all rock!**

* * *

"I see someone! It's them! They're here!" shouted a chuunin, a huge grin on his face as the first back up team arrived.  
The trio was greeted by the search party, which had split into two groups: group one went to the nearby village to stock up on resources and group two waited for more teams to show up.

The first team to arrive excitedly asked for news about the search, then their faces fell when they heard that there was no progress. However, the original search team was so glad to see their backups, the good mood immediately spread and everyone was swept up in a feeling of hope.

That day, the backup teams arrived one by one in groups of two, three or four. They didn't travel in huge armies in case they were targeted by rogue-nins. A few men lost was better than the other half of Suna's only source of strength assassinated. And Suna might have been an incredibly feared village for its power, but if enemies came in numbers then it was over.

Each ninja present at the pier, to their own surprise, shock or disgust, couldn't help but think that if the demon boy was with them, they would have been absolutely safe from attackers. But, then again, he was the biggest danger in the Land of Wind. Good riddance.

* * *

Kankuro drifted his eyes over to Gaara every now and then, trying to figure out what he was thinking. He didn't know if he wanted to know, because after the shocking discovery the puppet-nin had made about his family life earlier, he wouldn't blame the boy if he was messed up in the head.  
But the redhead looked peacefully calm, and often checked on Temari or him, making sure that none of them were in trouble. Kankuro concluded that he must be very a brave boy if he had managed to stay so sane and awesome even after being mistreated by their father. He would have imagined that he went crazy and took it out on the world or something. He guessed not.

"... Are you OK?" suddenly said the redhead, shuffling uncomfortably under Kankuro's intense gaze.  
The older boy snapped out of his reveries, not realizing that he was doing it in the first place.  
"Oh... Heh, Sorry. My mind was in the clouds for a moment there."

Temari's eyes trailed to him curiously, but she decided against asking him anything about his inner thoughts, since it had ended with Gaara shouting at Kankuro the last time she tried to do that. She realized that she was often the one to cause arguments between her siblings, but, at the same time, the only one able to calm them down if things got dangerous. Which was typically what sisters did, but this was on a whole other crazy level.

It was her family.

Her family composed of a very reserved demon host and a loud mouthed puppet master who had no sense of direction and that had a natural magnetism for disaster.  
She loved them.

Temari smiled and got up, brushing the dirt off of her clothes.  
"I'm going to go find some more food and dry wood. Don't move and try not to... Do anything bad you two." She smirked and walked through the trees, stopped immediately by Kankuro's voice.  
"Hey... I know that I'm wounded but I don't want to be useless! I'll go!"

Gaara and Temari's blood froze a few times over at the thought of their brother happily skipping alone in the forest and it was the kunoichi who snapped first.  
"HELL no! What the heck is wrong with you, you moron? Do you seriously want a repeat of _last time_? I damn don't! So sit your ass down and go play with you stupid dolls!" Temari slammed her hands over her mouth when she realized that she had shouted at the boy who was no longer in possession of his memories. Guilt flooded through her veins. "K-Kankuro... I'm sorry, I just... Please, don't move or you might hurt yourself. I... Kankuro? What the heck is wrong with you?"

The girl backed away when her brother kept on giving her a unnerving blank look, his eyes wide in dreamy way. She bit her lip when she figured that her words had pushed his unstable mind over the edge, but froze in shock when the boy started laughing.  
He laughed until he groaned in pain at his broken ribs.

He flashed a huge grin and smacked Temari on the arm.  
"You worry too much about me! Quit being such a _sissy_!" He shook his head and sighed in fake disappointment. "I knew there was something fishy about you. You were _way_ too nice to be the Temari I remember."

The kunoichi's jaw dropped.  
"I'm not a sissy you freak!"

"You sure are!" chuckled the puppet-nin.

"Am not!" yelled Temari, but she couldn't hold it up and she started laughing and wrapped an arm around Kankuro's shoulder gently.

The siblings held each other in silence, filled with the feeling of being reunited with someone you thought you lost but were back.  
The kunoichi wanted nothing more than to start weeping into her brother's hug in happiness, but decided that she was done crying over things. She was going to be strong forever for Kankuro. For Gaara.

Gaara.

The girl pulled away from Kankuro to snap her eyes to her youngest family member, who was staring at his siblings with eyes filled with so many different emotions.  
Temari saw awe, amazement, hurt and curiosity.  
"Kankuro... What did you remember exactly? Do you remember everything?"

The older boy shifted uncomfortably when he met Gaara gaze and locked eyes with his sister.  
"No. J-Just you. I know that Gaara existed in my life, in the same thoughts that I have of you, but... I just can't see him." He turned to the redhead. "I know that I know you... I just don't remember who you are. As if an important part of who you are in my memories is missing right now."  
The boy spoke slowly as if he were afraid that the young boy would be extremely angry at him. He didn't want to be yelled at again.

When he said that, Temari and Gaara both realized what he meant. The redhead had changed so much since their shipwreck, he and his past self were practically different people. Kankuro knew the darker side of his brother much longer than he had known this helpful, quiet and curious looking Gaara that was before his eyes.

Having no ideas as to what they could do at the moment, the two siblings sat around Kankuro and tried to make him recount anything he could remember now, even without being able to mention any connection he had with his younger brother. He seemed to remember slightly more that before, especially if it involved Temari, but it seemed as if the master key to his past was still to be discovered.

* * *

Temari saw her mother. She had been thinking about that woman a lot lately, about how much she wished that she was here to help her be a strong kunoichi, sister, person. It was almost as if her mind was being invaded and consumed by her memory, not unlike Shukaku's power over Gaara's felt her mother's presence suffocate her, capture her and drag her into her grave.

Then the girl woke up, not terrified for having such a morbid dream, but more thoughtful.  
"Well... why not?" she whispered to herself.  
"Good morning sis! Talking to yourself, I see?"  
Kankuro's voice startled Temari a great deal, making her jump to her feet and adopt a fighting stance instinctively. The puppet master put his hands up defensively.  
"Relax. Come on, Gaara and I tried to make breakfast."

Temari's face fell. Right after "I am going into the woods alone to find something", that was probably the sentence she dreaded hearing the most out of the boy's mouth.  
Fearing the worst, she stormed out of the shelter and gasped loudly in relief when she saw that the camp still existed.  
Apart from a few unidentifiable blobs of food on the ground and the extremely darkened edges of the fried eggs, everything was fine.

Kankuro sat down next to a Gaara who looked pleased with himself and patted the ground beside him.  
When their sister joined them, she was handed a plate of breakfast.  
"Thanks..." she felt her heart warming up and melting. Never had her brothers ever done something this sweet for no reason. Hell, they simply didn't do sweet things, even for a reason. Especially not Kankuro. And Gaara doesn't even need an explanation to go with his name.

Temari had always loved her brothers, of course, but this tripled all affection she had for them. She felt happy.  
"You didn't need to, you know. I don't mind hunting and making breakfast for you two. I mean, you guys do all the building."

The eldest of her brothers snorted loudly.  
"Oh, come on. You heal, feed and care for us. You put up with my uselessness and keep Gaara and I feeling safe and wanted. This is the least we could do, right, Gaara? I mean, it was his idea initially. Mine too!"

The kunoichi beamed at both her siblings and turned to Gaara.  
"Really? I should have known it was your idea. Kankuro knows no delicacy, even in his nice mode. Thanks." The girl chuckled when the brunet pouted. "Both of you."

After the meal, Temari changed Kankuro's bandages again, making remarks at how well he was healing and that he would be as good as new physically in a month or two at the latest.

Then, remembering her thoughts at her awakening, she started packing some items into her medic pouch.  
"Gaara, I thought that maybe we could bring Kankuro to the crash sight. More than anything else, it should jog memories, right?"

The jinchuuriki nodded and the puppet-nin sighed, realizing that this was just one of the things that he didn't remember anymore.

The redhead led the way, not going too fast so that his brother wouldn't fall behind or hurt himself. He went in a straight line to the place they needed to go, but it still took longer than it did the first time. Eventually they made it to the shore, where over twenty mounds of sand poked out of the otherwise flat surface of the beach.  
The sea breeze ruffled their clothes and smelt like salt with a hint of blood and death. The waves were particularly strong this day, rolled at their feet, inviting them to take a dip.  
However, even Kankuro had a dark feeling seeing the ocean once more, even if the brunet couldn't quite remember why. He knew that it had something to do with the 'boat accident' his team mentioned, or the fact that he was from a desert.

The boy turned his head from side to side, trying to take everything in, hoping that something would seem familiar just as much has his siblings did.  
His eyes raked the ocean, the trees behind him, to the sand mounds and stopped.  
"What are those? Those weird lumpy thingies?" he asked.  
"Graves. For those who weren't as lucky as us." answered Gaara.  
Kankuro's mouth formed a silent 'o' and Temari held her breath, thinking that something might have ticked in his head. To her disappointment, the boy gave the resting dead one last look before moving on to inspecting the sand, that was still littered with various pieces of boat limbs.  
The puppet-nin slowly zigzagged between the wooden corpses, the gallery of random wall panels, broken tables, chairs, shredded bedsheets, the twisted metal circles of windows, smashes ceramics.  
After a seconds, he turned around and walked away from the grave of the small ship, along the beach, in the opposite direction. Temari and Gaara followed him in silence, understanding that the holes in their brother's memory were still to be filled.

They strolled noiselessly along the shore, side by side, instinctively placing themselves in their usual formation.  
Gaara walked beside the forest, as far away from the water as possible. Temari stood closest to the sea, to keep her brothers safe from the dangers it represented. Kankuro traveled in between them, not knowing why, but it felt right. He had a slight sense of déjà vu.  
After a minutes late, the shreds of wood started thinning out, becoming more spread out over the beach, but still there.

Suddenly, Kankuro ran to the edge of the sand where it met the ocean and pulled something out of it using his good arm.

Temari and Gaara exchanged a look and trailed the boy, curious and slightly excited.  
The brunet showed them his catch.  
"It's..." The redhead tilted his head sideways, thoughtful.  
"... a door?" Finished his sister, and she couldn't help but grin at the ecstatic look on Kankuro's face even if she had no idea why he was holding that particular broken piece of boat up.  
"Guys. It's not any door. It's _the _door. I don't know why, but I remember seeing Temari passed out on it. I don't remember you on it, though, Gaara."

The kunoichi stared in pure confusion whilst a light bulb lit up in Gaara's mind.  
"It's the door that served as a life raft when Kankuro saved us from the ship while it was sinking. When he woke up, I was already gone and Temari was still unconscious from her glass wounds."  
The puppet-nin shook his head, glad that he remembered something, even if it was completely random and a little pointless, since he was supposed to find memories of his brother.  
"Makes sense. Man, must have been really tough. Since I don't remember much, I guess that I slept through most of it, like Temari. If it's true that you can't sleep, then that means that you had a rough, lonely night at sea. I'm surprised you can still walk along the ocean and look perfectly fine with it." The last part was aimed at the jinchuuriki.

"I wasn't fine the first time we returned to the shore. I didn't even want to look at the water." huffed the redhead, crossing his arms.  
Before his brother could ask anything, the boy silenced him by putting up his hand and continued.  
"'_Gaara... If something bad happens, I'll just pull you and Temari back to safety. Don't worry OK? Trust me for this.'_ Those were the exact words you said to keep me going. They made me forget all about my fears, because I knew that I could trust you to keep Temari and I safe. Do you really not remember?"  
Kankuro widened his eyes guiltily and shook his head before dropping the door on the ground, stepping over it and marching back towards the forest.  
Gaara silently turned around and followed the boy.

Temari stood there, staring at the door. This chunk of wood saved their lives. Actually, no. Kankuro saved their lives. But he only vaguely remembered it.  
The kunoichi sighed, running her hand through her long blond hair. She gave one last look at their life raft that she never had any memory of before spinning around and running to join her brothers who symbolized her true life raft.

* * *

"Temari... There is this man wandering around with us..." Kankuro clenched his eyes tighter, trying to make his mental images sharper. "Tall. Not friendly looking. Keeps calling me an idiot. Has half of his face covered by a towel thing."  
His sister nodded, a patient look on her face.  
"Oh... yes. That's Baki-sensei. He was our squad leader before we ended up here. Not for that long. We are a pretty new team. We have been on missions all together a few times though. The most recent one was rather... interesting. You won't remember, because you were passed out for most of it."

Gaara lifted his head and let out a small huff, his lips twitching up ever so slightly. For him, this was comparable to a deranged round of laughter whilst rolling on the floor.

Kankuro groaned and lied on his back, watching the top of the trees as they turned orange in the setting sun.  
"Damn it. I'm always out at the good parts. What happened?"

Temari chuckled and mimicked her brother's posture. Soon, Gaara did the same and all three of them were gazing up at the sky as it slowly turned purple and the air around them slowly cooled down.  
The blonde took a deep breath, thinking of the best way to start off her story.  
Then, she thought for a minute and turned her head towards her youngest brother.

"Gaara? Why don't you start us off? It might even help with the Kankuro's memory if you were the one saying some of the story." she asked softly, since there really wasn't any need to shout. The arriving night was completely silent apart from the rustle of the leaves and the sound of their breathing.

The redhead licked his lips and picked an appearing star in the sky to stare at.

"It was... interesting. About a month ago, the Kazekage gave us a C ranked mission to infiltrate a mansion of enemy lords and steal a scroll containing their land's trade information. He... never really told us why, but we went on the mission with Baki-sensei. We traveled to the border of that country, not really encountering enemy ninja until we had to pass the ones stationed around the mansion. We all took them out easily. You actually terrified them a lot with your puppets. Temari actually managed to get rid of two of the guards by simply hitting them on the head with her fan. I smashed the gate down with my sand and we strolled in effortlessly. It was a C ranked mission after all.

Once we passed the security guards, that was when things really got interesting. This mansion was protected by a series of traps and genjutsus that only those who had permission to enter knew about. So we could only guess what they were. Luckily, the traps weren't really deadly, in case uninformed visitors came by. Most of them were simply to incapacitate attackers, delay or knock them out long enough for the guards to sound the alarm.

We entered the house and detected most traps before they activated, and eliminated them. I wasn't... really paying attention to what they were. Temari, do you remember any of the traps?"

The jinchuuriki turned his head towards his sister and gave her a look that clearly meant that he wanted her to continue with the rest of the story. He wasn't used to talking so much in such a short amount of time.  
She nodded and rolled back onto her back.

"Yeah. The first doorway had a sensor in it. Anyone who walked in was shot by small poisonous darts. Gaara, you walked in and the trap was completely useless against you sand shield, so it wasn't really a problem. There was this one trap that actually worked for a moment, it was a genjutsu. Once you saw what it was, you could immediately know that the person who cast it was kinda creepy minded. Whoever entered that room would see a huge harem of butt naked women swarming them. Probably to distract thieves. You three morons nearly fell for it. Psh, even Baki-sensei. Good thing that I, non weird and normal minded girl was there to snap you three idiotic men out of it. You all figured it out pretty quickly and dispelled the illusion."

Kankuro snorted and started laughing.  
"So that's why you said that the mission was 'interesting'! When do I pass out though?"  
Temari smacked him gently in his non-broken arm.

"I'm not finished! Not even close. So, yeah, we took out another guard and we went into the next room, the doorway was rigged again but that wasn't a problem. It was the fake dining room. There was this huge table loaded with mouthwatering food, but it reeked of suspicion. Plus, it was incredibly obvious, I mean, seriously? Who would fall for that? No one. Especially not us, since we _were _the greatest team in Suna. We didn't look twice at the table, but this is where you mess up Kankuro. We walk out of the room, being careful and you, what do you do? You push your hand against the wall, exactly where that booby trap was. Before any of us could even blink, a squirt of sleeping gas was fired your way and that, my brother, is how you ended up out cold for the rest of the mission. It was an accident though. Baki-sensei had to carry you until we reached the door behind which the scroll was. Since we expected many guards in the high security room, sensei had to put you down somewhere. Hahahaha! We checked a broom closet for traps, locked you in then we were on our way."

Kankuro groaned while his siblings laughed at the memory (mentally, in Gaara's case).

"We broke into the study the old fashioned way. Gaara bashed the door down with sand. There were much more guards than we expected. Whatever was on that scroll must have been pretty important. Those people made the mistake of chuckling when Gaara and I walked into the room, expecting no trouble from a girl and a young looking kid. Psh, stupid house guards know nothing. Gaara took five of them out in one go, super pissed at them."

Temari glanced at the redhead.

"You had every right to be, they were annoying morons. It was actually kind of fun taking them out, since they had underestimated us so much. They should have known just by our headbands that we weren't little academy students here to sell cookies or something. Hell, if that didn't give them a clue, then they should have suspected something when we passed every single trap without a problem, minus the one with Kankuro, or the realized that Baki-sensei was with us. But no, they laughed, those cocky bastards. Last mistake they even made.

Once they were gone, we found the scroll and left the room, but the scroll itself was rigged and the alarm went off, so we ran out of the house quickly before anyone had the time to arrive."

A strong gust of wind ruffled the trees and Temari fell silent for a second, missing the adrenaline of being on a mission.  
"You were right. That was a pretty interesting mission." grunted Kankuro, mindlessly tracing his broken ribs with a finger, wondering when they were going to heal. If they ever made it back to Suna, he wanted to be able to participate in missions again.

Temari suddenly burst out laughing.

"Wait! I forgot something! Do you know what the best part was? ..."

* * *

"... We forgot Kankuro in the closet. We had to go back into the mansion and get him. We had set off the alarm, there were so many guards charging at us. Since we had Gaara, it wasn't even a problem. We killed them, grabbed the knocked out kid and left. I never told anyone the details of my last mission with them, not even the Kazekage. Until now, I guess."

The group shinobi gathered around Baki erupted in laughter at the jonin's story. The man took in a ragged breath and he couldn't help but desperately miss his team. His three kids. His only kids.  
Reina placed a comforting hand on his shoulder and he nodded her off, not wanting to show too much emotion.

The first search party had been overjoyed to see them. Baki was, after all, a respected shinobi for his extremely dangerous job of coaching the sand demon.

They had settled into the camping site for the night, as the boats were going to return out to sea the next day. Once they had started a camp fire, everyone automatically relaxed and started socializing for the mission.

Reina had found Yuudai and shared her map with him, showing him the big X on it. She had also told him about her traveling companion, and his talent for telling stories about his team that had made her almost like the Kazekage's off-springs.  
Immediately curious, Yuudai had asked Baki if he could share some of his tales to pass the night.

Before long, a large circle had formed around the man, as everyone had wanted to know how it was like to be on a mission alone with the sand monster and his siblings.  
They hadn't expected the story to be humorous. It made the three children seem almost... human.

* * *

**So, that is the end of the chapter. I hope that y'all enjoyed it! The easiest part to write was the story of the last mission, since that was purely fictive. I think anyway. With all the crazy Kishimoto-sama is incorporating into the series (war wtf?), they could very well have gone to a strip club in the middle of Candyland in city of Fairydust to find a scroll that was actually hidden in a banana/bubblegum/pistachio flavored birthday cake of Lord DigestiveCookies.  
You have read, now I would love you even more if you reviewed.  
I do sincerely apologize for the horrendous delay. Thanks for those who are still sticking with me!  
Cookie monster raccoon = Gaara?  
XOXO ~~~ HimekoUchia (Happy Easter!)**


	14. Infinite Wounds Of The Heart

**I will never drop this fic guys! I just can't update as often as I would like because, well, it's almost the end of term for us which means, hey, more tests and homework. Plus, I started reading 'Spiral Falling' by Becca Amon (for SasuNaru lovers only) and kinda got very distracted for some time. OK, enough with my crappy excuses.  
*hands out raw eggs*  
You guys get one each, so aim well.  
*KASPLAT*  
… OK, am I forgiven now?**

**I have finally properly planned out kinda the rest of the story and, no worries, there is still quite a few chapter to go, but we are much more than halfway through the story.**  
**Thanks for the reviews! Truly appreciate every single one of them! I now have 100! Woohoo!**  
**I do not own Naruto or anything! Not even a life. Haha bad joke.**  
**Any who!**  
**Enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

"No. Get back to your posts."  
The captain turned around and started rearranging the papers on his desk, obviously trying to avoid eye contact with the two jonins behind him.

This pestered Yuudai, who wasn't known for their perfectly calm attitude. The way he completely destroyed his sister's living room when he found out about his brother's death was enough proof of that.  
"What? We're saying that we know where the shipwreck could be! Why not?" he growled, taking a step forward. Reina put a hand on his shoulder, her grip soothing yet powerful, and Yuudai knew that she wouldn't hesitate to dislocate his arm if he lost it. So, he took a deep, calming breath and stood up straight and composed, just as the captain swung around.

They both expected him to shout at them but, to their shock, he looked sad.  
"You don't understand. Lord Kazekage gave us a week to complete this mission, including travel time. We should be returning to Suna. We are going against his orders right now. We cannot search for more than a few extra days. One or two. But... This place you want us to go to is far off our allowed range. It would take too long and Kazekage-sama will be infuriated even more. I want to find the shipwreck as much as you do but... we have to trust that our leader knows what he is doing. He does what is best for the village."

"Trust him? But he...! His own children...! He...- Ack!" Yuudai cursed under his breath and yanked his shoulder out of his sister's grip. She looked taken aback and gasped in surprise.  
"Yuudai! I'm sorry... It's the stress. I'll fix it for you. Thank you very much for your time, captain. We understand." she bowed and pulled her brother out of the room.

Once outside, she dropped her fake, professional mask and let her angered eyes burn a hole in Yuudai's face. He was the only person who knew that, other than keeping her cool, acting was another thing Reina was phenomenal at. It was what balanced them and kept them out of trouble for so many years.  
"Yuudai! You cannot talk about Kazekage-sama in that way in front of them! They don't know that he was the one who planned it all!" she hissed, popping the man's shoulder back into place.  
He grunted in pain but otherwise looked as if he was completely used to this.  
"Exactly! Why don't we tell them all? That fool deserves-..."  
"You mustn't act like a child! I know that you are upset about what happened to our brother, so am I! But if Kazekage-sama knew about it he would kill us! And it could endanger the whole village if we are all turned against him! The leader of a ninja village must be respected, or else everything will be chaotic. Even if he is a fraud."

"Who is a fraud?"

The siblings gasped and swung towards Baki, who was walking slowly towards them and leaned against the cabin outer wall. Doing this made the cloth covering half of his face reveal his second eye, so that Reina and Yuudai could see the suspicion in them.  
"It's nothing. Nothing important." replied the woman, clearing her face of all emotion. Baki frowned.  
"Whenever you lie, you make your face unnaturally blank, Reina-san. And both you and your brother are trained enough to know that words like 'fraud' shouldn't get thrown around lightly. I could stop snooping and mind my business but... anything that might have to do with the prosperity of my village is my business."

Reina and Yuudai exchanged a long look and then they both sighed at the same time. The two related jonins each grabbed one of Baki's arms and tugged him to the back of the boat, which was empty, since it was supposed to be Reina and Yuudai's work post.  
They weren't too sure how to explain things to the man, especially after discovering how much secret affection he once had for his students who had died in the accident.  
Which, of course, was never really an accident.

After a few seconds of thoughts, Reina placed a hand on the man's shoulder and looked him in the eye, praying that above anything he wouldn't hate her for this.  
"Baki-san... The Kazekage ordered our brother to sink the ship..."

* * *

Kankuro barely remembered his dream when he woke up, but, after a few seconds of blinking back the fuzzy blanket in his mind, it came back to him. It was such a strange, horrible dream. But the word the puppet-nin thought defined it the best was 'stupid'.

Why would he dream of Gaara holding a dead, mangled Temari... Smiling up at him with blood-lusted eyes? How stupid. Gaara was such a brave, kind person and Temari was tough enough to take care of herself.  
Kankuro repeated that in his head again and again, but couldn't shake off the feeling that he had had that dream before, and that after that... something bad had happened. He simply couldn't remember. What should he remember? It was just a nightmare anyway.

… Then again, it was incredibly realistic.  
The boy smack his head, then groaned in pain when he felt his stitches throb at the abuse. Why did he have such a annoying, nagging feeling?  
For the first time, Kankuro actually wished he could just forget what happened in his head. He didn't want to think anything of it.

Gaara ducked into the shelter quietly.  
"Did you just hit yourself on the head?" asked the young redhead, looking very perplexed.  
Feeling the true concern in the boy's eyes, Kankuro found himself bathing in shame for considering, even for one second, that his little brother might be a evil person.  
"Um... Yeah? It was kinda itchy, but it hurts now. I should stop doing dumb things." he answered, grinning and slowly sitting up. The redhead stared at him for a moment with an emotion the puppet-nin couldn't quite place, before exiting the hut.  
Kankuro sighed, the pain he felt in his mending arms, ribs and forehead had transitioned from nearly unbearable burning to a continued, dull ache, except when he made sudden movements. He could either be healing fast, or simply getting used to the pain.

He joined his siblings around their small camp fire, greeting his sister, who gave him a long look.  
"Kankuro? You look as if you've seen a ghost!" she raised an eyebrow, cocking her head to the side.  
He laughed nervously, running his good hand through his matted brown hair.  
"My forehead is sooooooo freaking itchy. Sucks."  
"Oh! That's good!" grinned Temari. "It means it's healing. You'll just have to suffer a little longer though."  
"Urg, great... Pffttt... Stupid dreams fill this stitched up head." The puppet-nin pointed to himself. "You simply cannot imagine."  
Gaara and Temari exchanged a look, both feeling a sense of deja vu. Yes, they could imagine. They really could.  
This time, however, they both pushed it away, not wanted to disrupt any illusion that they had created.

* * *

The morning passed quickly. Kankuro got another one of his practically scheduled medical check ups and had more random memories shoved down his throat by his siblings.  
He was reminded of his first day at the academy, where he had snuck out of class using a puppet to replace him. He got busted by the teacher, who had seen him trying to switch places with the wooden person in the lunch queue.  
He had gotten into huge trouble with their father, who had officially demoted Kankuro to his second least favorite child. The first being Gaara, of course. Temari was the Kazekage's 'favorite', though he still hadn't paid any attention to her.  
Her position had changed, however, the day she had accidentally smashed a window practicing her new wind technique. Kankuro had redeemed himself by spilling sulfuric acid on their kitchen flooring while trying to invent a new poison, making the liquid burn holes until the basement.  
Temari had concluded that their father had simply hated them all, no matter how hard they had tried to please him, make him proud of them, to earn his attention... Nothing had ever changed.

"Geez. Nice dad we've got their." mused Kankuro, as more unpleasant memories of the man floated back into his head. He tried to tune them out. He didn't need a hundred thoughts to accept something, one logical one was enough. "So... loving."  
Temari made a face.  
"I just... never really got that guy. I don't know about you two but... Having that psycho as a father just really makes me want to be a terrific mother to my future children, just to spit on his cruel legacy."

The boys looked at her quietly for a few seconds, trying to figure out what to say. They had never really thought about things like this. They mostly fantasized about kicking asses and eating grilled meat for dinner every night for the rest of their lives. They had certainly never thought about a new generation. However, they could see that their sister was truly a kind, peaceful and caring person, no matter how tough she normally acted around people.

Kankuro smiled and grabbed a handful of sand, letting it flow through his fingers.  
"Temari... You would make a great mom. You care for people so well." His sister looked as if, to her, this was the best compliment she could ever get. "I would never treat my kiddos bad either but... They can wait for a bit. I don't really want children. They're way too noisy for my taste. I'm only 14 anyway, I've got plenty of time... If we ever get back to the village, that is. What about you, Gaara?"

The redhead shrugged and frowned in clear anger.  
"I know what it's like to have a parent not love you, even if you didn't do anything bad. It makes you a bad person. I will never do that to my children. If... If anyone ever wants to have kids with me, that is... I will be sure that that person never has to go through what mother had to go through. Betrayed by the person you loved. My kids would never have to fear about being unloved, unaccepted or endangered. I don't want anyone to feel the way I have. Especially not my son or daughter."

His siblings stared at him, shocked into silence.  
This lasted for a few long minutes until Kankuro broke the silence.  
"You will definitely be a way better dad than our father. Your children will be lucky." He smiled at his brother, making the younger boy's heart feel strange. As if it was swelling up.  
After a quick moment, he managed to put a word on the feeling, something that he had never felt before.  
Pride. He was proud of himself thanks to Kankuro's words.  
Then, just a suddenly as it had came, the feeling left. What was the point of thinking, just for a second, that he might actually be a decent and non messed up parent if... He would probably never meet the special person that would want to spend the rest of their life with him.  
He didn't feel proud of himself anymore.

He felt a hand on his shoulder.  
"Gaara... One day, you will meet a person who will love you for everything you are and were. Everyone will. It's the reason we humans were created after all." Temari wrapped an arm around him. It's as if she had read his thoughts.  
"Wait... I thought our meaning in life as ninjas was to live enslaved by the Kazek-..."  
"Shut it, Kankuro." snapped the kunoichi, glaring daggers at him. Then she put her soft smile back on. "So, as I was saying, Gaara... You _will_ have children one day, be a great parent. You will find a woman who would want to share every bit of your future together with you."  
"Or man, if he swings that way. However, kids won't be technically possible then." added Kankuro, chuckling to himself.

Temari gave him a withering look and face palmed loudly. She was used to her brother having bad timing and random comments, but the memory loss had really made him even more moronic. She kind of felt bad for Gaara, who had only very, very recently learned the first baby steps of loving your own siblings. This must be so confusing for him.  
"Urgh... Yeah, I guess. Um... that's up to you-..."

She was cut off by a loud rustling sound coming from the trees to her right.

Imeadiately, she and Gaara jumped up into fighting stance whilst Kankuro looked completely confused. With his broken ribs, he obviously couldn't be jumping around anyway.  
Temari felt a bead of sweat drip down her forehead. She had a bad feeling about this.  
"Gaara... I thought that we were the only ones on this island." she said in a hushed whisper.  
"We are the only _humans_." he replied, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "I know what this is... I've dealt with one of these before. Don't worry, there aren't that many of them around."

Just as he said that, a beast emerged from the trees. Kankuro and Temari both gasped.  
Even if it wasn't all that amazingly big, it was exactly how they had imagined a daemon to look like.  
Back in Suna, they didn't have a very diverse wildlife, so it was hard for them to describe it.  
It looked like the body of a hairless wild boar with the head of a huge eagle on it. It was ugly and terrifying.  
The beast moved it's shiny pink head from side to side, taking in the three young children in front of him.  
A low, growling sound rumbled in it's throat and it opened it's beak, only to reveal a row of sharp dagger shaped teeth. The monster took a few prowling steps forward, it's eyes fixated on Kankuro, drawn in by the smell of his wounds, even without any spilled blood.

Gaara stepped in front of his brother and lifted a palm towards the beast. A swirl of sand wrapped itself around it, making thrash in vain.  
"This one looks hungry and unkind as well. I'll kill it too." He stated calmly. "Sand coffin!"  
With a final yelp, the beast was encased in the sand. A crunching sound was heard and streams of blood dribbled along the sides of the cocoon, coloring the ground red.  
Gaara dropped the coffin to the ground, destroying all remains of the animal's body and absorbing the blood into the earth so that the camp site was left untainted.

Temari sighed in relief and grinned at the boy. She had nearly forgotten how cool it felt to have such a powerful kid as a little brother. Enemies would insult him, them, their village, and Gaara would make them eat their words as she and Kankuro watched in amusement. They had really been a twisted trio. How she missed that sometimes.  
Then, before she could even say anything, a soft whimper escaped Kankuro's throat.

Both of his siblings turned in shock to face him.  
The puppet-nin was gasping for air, bent over and started to make a gagging noise.  
For a second, they thought that he was going to vomit the content of his stomach, but he continued taking in abnormally long breaths of air, eyes shining with tears that would never be shed. After a second, his body started to sag to the floor.  
Snapping out of his confusion, Gaara gently threw an arm under his brother's good shoulder, being extremely careful as not to hurt him.

"Kankuro. What's wrong with-..." the redhead was cut off when his older brother cried out in panic and forcefully shoved him away, making the younger boy fall into a tree, a wall of sand protecting his back from any pain.

Everything seemed to go in slow motion.

Temari stood rooted to the ground in utter shock. The moment Kankuro groggily trudged towards Gaara, his shaking arm stretched forward until his hand started to ever so slowly close around the jinchuuriki's neck. The kunoichi's body immediately reacted to the sight and she grabbed her eldest brother, pulling him away from the smaller boy, who was staring with a blank face at the brunet, his eyes, however, revealing his hurt as he kept his gaze locked at the hand that was being pulled away from him. The hand that had just tried to kill him.

Familiar thoughts swirled in his mind. Again and again.  
Why? Why was this happening? What had he done? Why was he such a monster to make Kankuro do this?

He met his sister's scared eyes and knew that the most negative outcome had taken place.  
Many of their past questions swam back into the tension around them and were answered.

_Yes_. It was dangerous to have an amnesiac person fixing his own memory with only a few of the puzzle pieces. Especially for someone who made up his mind about another person so rashly.

_Absolutely_. Kankuro's memory was improving. He was even having recurring dreams.

_Maybe._They were going to miss their clueless, forever happy, memory less brother.

Gaara's breath caught in his throat and he could barely suppress the almost tearful pain in his eyes when his brother finally lifted his head to meet his gaze.  
If he had thought that seeing Kankuro stare at him with a guilty grin as he told him that he couldn't remember anything about him was the most terrible feeling in the world, then he was wrong.  
That long lost, familiar look of horror burning in his brother's eyes, laced with anger and disgust, was infinitely, infinitely worst.

* * *

The scene stayed frozen in place for more than a few minutes.  
This would have been awkward in another situation but, in this case, the three siblings had no idea what to do next. The silence was filled with enough unspoken thoughts as it was.

"Fuck... Gaara I'm..." Eyes widening, Kankuro bit his lip so hard it started bleeding, then, just as suddenly as it had come, the guilty look disappeared. "_What the hell is going on? You two shitting with me?_" spat the boy, furious, turning away and limping into the forest, muttering angry curses under his breath. He only ever swore when he was really seriously angry.

Temari and Gaara watched him as he kicked branches out of his way, and kept on walking until he disappeared behind the trees.  
The kunoichi licked her dry lips.  
"It unblocked a whole lot of memories... The sight of..." She didn't need to finish her sentence to get her point across. "He will remember everything else. I promise."  
Gaara nodded. How many times has he heard this?  
"Yes. He will eventually have to remember that I have stopped trying to kill you two. But... who can blame him when he had over ten years of memories to rival with the few days on this island? Kankuro must be so confused."

Temari slowly wrapped her arms around Gaara.  
"He will. He has been recovering from his amnesia for some time. He has good thoughts about you, Gaara. He just has to make things clear. Besides, we have both never hated you. That won't be the problem."  
The jinchuuriki's bottom lip trembled, but he frowned roughly, forcing his face to remain composed. He knew that his sister had noticed.  
"Thank you, Temari. I... You should go talk to our brother. He's not afraid of you."

She nodded and sprinted off after Kankuro, not wanting to leave Gaara behind, but she knew that he would understand the dangers of leaving the puppet-nin without supervision.

Once he was alone the redhead kicked the sand below his feet in frustration.  
Was he cursed? Was is really that impossible for his life to go in at least one positive direction? Was he dragging people down around him?  
Temari... She shouldn't be running around trying to mend his and Kankuro's barely existent relationship, something that even he couldn't do for himself without ending up angry or very confused.

Suddenly, another option entered his mind.

* * *

"Kankuro! Stop it! You're hurting yourself!" sighed Temari, starting to get frustrated. The boy refused to stop limping around and kept on walking through the forest, trying to lose her.  
She rolled her eyes and easily caught up, stepping in front of him to block his path.

Kankuro finally stayed on spot after accepting that his sister would just follow him anyway.

The two siblings stared at each other in silence, their eyes meeting.  
For the first time in a very long time, there was no bridge between their exchange. Blank met blank. No secrets flying through their gaze, no friendly mockery, no true connection.  
They stared on for the sole purpose of stalling. None of them really knew how to start this conversation.

After a couple dozen seconds, Kankuro's eyes started watering and he blinked.  
"Shoot. Fine, I'll start talking." He sighed and relaxed his posture. "I remembered everything about Gaara. About how he would threaten to kill us every other day, how he kept telling us that he never ever saw us as siblings. And the blood... All those people he sand-coffined during the missions no matter how much we and Baki-sensei would tell him to stop. He never listened. He just kept on feeding the demon in him. Then he would go nuts and start talking to Shukaku... I just remember being so... terrified all the time. That he would kill me. Or you."

"But he never did, remember?" replied Temari softly. "Kankuro... We've been on this island for one week. So many things have happened since then! I understand that this must be hella confusing if you have no memory of it but... You have to trust me on this one. You have to trust Gaara."  
Kankuro eyes widened then he snorted in disgust, making his sister's heart clench in pity for the redhead who had no idea how terrible this case really was.

"Trust Gaara? By the looks he was giving me and judging by the fact that you're still in one piece, maybe he might not slaughter us but... trust him? Temari... What crazy stuff happened during these very few days that could make you stand so close to him like that? You always put up a brave big sister front but I know the truth: you're _infinitely_ more scared of him than I am, because you would worry for the both of us _and _for his sanity. Why else would you always smile at him? Because he kept threatening to kill me when I stood up to him, since you never did. You always protected me from him. He only listened to you, because you acted so sweet and pretended to care for him so much. That's why you had the most terrifying responsibility. Don't you dare say that I'm making it all up because you know it's true. The only one who didn't see through your nice act was Gaara."

Temari had promised herself to never cry again, and she wasn't going to break that promise now, but her eyes stung like crazy and she had to bite the inside of her cheek to stop a sob from escaping.  
After a few seconds of silence, she drew in a long, shaky breath.

"It's... It's all true. No, it _was_ true. Not anymore, Kankuro. He's changed. We've all changed. Have you... Have you really forgotten it all?"  
The puppet-nin was going to snap back, but refrained from doing so when he saw the hurt in his sister's eyes. The look she gave him was more intense and heartbreaking than he had ever seen her. Yes, she had changed too.

"It's just... The last thing I remember is..."  
He frowned in concentration.  
"... The boat! The boat tilted and all the water started flooding the place. Gaara... His ankle was messed up and I helped him. I... I couldn't leave him behind. Then we were on the deck and you were clinging on for dear life... The wave. It tipped over the entire ship. I pulled you guys onto a door and passed out. When I woke up, I was covered in stitches and I had no idea who you guys were. Then I remembered. This morning, I had this dream... I know I had it before, recently. And after that, I just remember Gaara getting possessed by Shukaku and trashing the forest. But apparently, it's not the whole story."

"No. It's not the whole story! Kankuro... Those... Those are only the bad parts of the whole story!" sighed Temari, finally getting her emotions under some sort of control.  
Her brother shook his head quickly, grunting in pain when he felt the blood rushing to his stitched forehead.  
"So what if it wasn't the whole story? Temari... All my memories... I know that they were still _real_. Those things were true. They happened. It's never going to change."

He didn't expect his sister to growl at him in anger.  
"Things have already changed Kankuro! You're just don't know it! He's opened up more! That's real! We've all grown closer! That's real! He saved your life! That's real!"  
The brunet's face didn't betray any form of shock or surprise.  
"Well... Maybe you're right then. I don't know what's real anymore. I'm obviously missing something because..."  
He walked right up to Temari and mirrored her furious look.  
"... there is no other reason why you would be defending _him_ instead siding with _me_. You have truly changed, sister, if you really looking at me like this. I can't believe we're fighting over _Gaara_. Let's go back to the camp. _He_ might be wondering what the hell we're doing. No worries, I'll behave. He hasn't acted so bad in the past two days. This morning was even kind of... mushy. Creepy, now that I think of it. Maybe I'll remember everything. That would be _convenient_."

He turned around and stared limping quickly back in the direction he came.

Temari let him go for a few moment before she sighed and started following him.  
How was she going to explain all this to Gaara?

* * *

Sitting up in a tree, Gaara had heard everything.  
This was the second time that he regretted eavesdropping, but couldn't he  
Piece by piece, he had felt his heart break apart. Slowly, it had shred. His mind's carefully composed wall had been busted open.  
It had been unbearable. It was just like before. The never ending pain.

**Told you, kid.**

On the first day on the island, Kankuro had told him he trusted him. Why?

**Because he didn't want you to see his fear. He had no other choice anyway. He was stuck with you.**

This morning, when I asked him why he had hit his head... I knew he was lying... It must have been that dream again. Even if it was just for one second, he gave that me _look_.

**The 'Oh my god it's monster boy' look. Classic.**

Temari... Gaara, clenched his chest. He couldn't believe how much she had feared him.

**And maybe she still feels that way deep inside. See? You're still unloved. Yashamaru was right, kid. You just let them break your defense down. Now, you love them. Sucks. If you just go back there and kill them, though, all the pain will go away.**

Gaara let himself drop from his tree and onto the forest ground. He pressed his back against the trunk and let himself slide down until he was sitting.  
His vision started to blur.  
Shukaku was right. Yashamaru was right. Wounds of the heart hurt so bad.  
For the first time in six years, since his uncle had betrayed him, he felt tears leak down the side of his face.  
They left an unpleasantly cold trail on his face, where he was vulnerable. His sand wasn't protecting him from this pain. It was on the inside.

Gaara didn't know how he was going to face his siblings, but one thing he knew for sure.  
No matter how they truly felt about him, he wasn't making the same mistake twice.  
He was never going back into the miserable, lonely darkness. Shukaku could stuff it.

* * *

**Finally! This took time to write... I apologize once again for the long wait.  
I hope you guys enjoyed reading this chapter! Shukaku is back. The situation is heating up, with both the SandSibs and my rescue people plus Baki.  
'Monster' is... hm... Imagine a huge, shell-less turtle with teeth. Ew. Google it or something, and you'll know what I pictured.**

**I'll try to get the next chapter up sooner. No promises. Holidays are coming up and that can be a good or bad thing for posting. Hopefully good.  
Well, I know I don't deserve it, but review please? *innocent look*  
Heh, I'm such a looney.  
Peace, love, happy holidays!  
XOXO ~~~ HimekoUchia (Thanks for sticking with me!)**


	15. My Family First

**OK. Wanna know why this is late? Ready for some crappy excuse that are true?  
1. I was on holiday for 5 weeks in France where the internet is rare. Sorry 'bout that, I'm back now.  
2. My USB penguin (it's shaped like a blue penguin) had internal damage and won't open. Life sucks.  
So, all excuses aside, thanks for the reviews guys! Sorry this is late. I watched the last Harry Potter movie. It was so sad. I almost cried. I did cry during the Gaara and his father bonding moment. I wished the old man could have stuck around longer.  
I do not own anything associated to Naruto. I only own Reina, Yuudai and their dead brother.**

* * *

"... Come again?" said Baki blankly, the words making no sense in his head, even if he heard them crystal clear.  
Reina sighed, relieved that he didn't start lashing out at her.  
"Our brother was ordered to sink the ship by the Kazekage. Our leader did everything on purpose... to kill Gaara. When our brother didn't return, we joined the search which, by the way, is the Kazekage's ruse so that no one suspects anything. He doesn't expect us to find anything because a huge storm had hit the already sabotaged boat so if the wreck was washed far away, only corpses and planks would remain. I'm... I'm sorry Baki-san."

No amount of training to keep her emotions under control could stop her from feeling heartbroken when she saw the man's carefully composed mask crack into a look of shock and hurt.  
Baki sunk to the floor, his back pressed up against the railing of the boat, his eyes staring straight forward, displaying his soul for the world to see, if only for a few seconds, before he shut his eyes, blocking out the blazing sun that was beating down on their heads.

He slowly let the whole thing sink in.  
He had never really liked or disliked the Kazekage as a man, silently thought him as being far too uncaring as a father, but had always respected him as their leader who, really, did everything to keep his village safe. However, sinking a ship full of innocent people and his students made the Kazekage's logic seem absolutely crazy and cruel. How could he have done that? Stranded his children, his own flesh and blood, and a bunch of people that he swore to protect into the sea, most likely dead, without any chance of finding them.  
This couldn't be true. It made no sense.

"You must be lying... I have worked with the man for my whole life, Kazekage-sama wouldn't..." he was cut off by Yuudai.  
"Oh come on! Kazekage-sama this, Kazekage-sama that! Open your eyes man! That idiot- ARG!" he let out a string of profanities when his sister tightened her hold on his shoulder painfully, nearly popping it out of it's socket again.  
Reina glared at her brother then slowly sat down in front of Baki.  
It hurt so much for Yuudai... so much for her, to lose their brother. She knew that she could never imagine the pain of losing three kids that you practically considered as your own. She admired the man in front of her for keeping it together during the whole conversation, unlike her own loud and overly passionate brother, who seemed almost immature in comparison.

"We wouldn't have believed it either if it weren't for the fact that Kazekage-sama told Yuudai when he went to ask him about our brother." she said quietly, hoping that her softer approach would help snap Baki out of his disbelief.  
It seemed to work and the man pulled himself up using a railing while Reina stood up awkwardly, knowing what was coming next.  
"So... Your brother was ordered to sink that ship. He accepted. He's now dead. Was it a... suicide mission?" He could have been talking to himself if he weren't looking straight at Reina, deciding to completely ignore the woman's other brother, who's instincts were telling him that someone was...

"No. Jiro was... utterly devoted to our leader. Kazekage-sama must have chosen him because was very strong, fast and a raiton user, so he could have sabotaged the boat with an electric hit to the controllers and escaped easily. He was supposed to escape the ship before it sank but something... or someone must have held him up or killed him or maybe he just never made it off the boat in time." she explained, not looking at the man in the eye.  
"For all this time... You knew about this and you never told me." Baki sounded angry, but it was just to cover up his hurt. He felt completely betrayed by Reina. The man felt childish thinking this but he had thought that all their story sharing and genuine smiles had meant that they were somewhat friends, or at least that she was a trust worthy companion.

The woman opened her mouth but no sound came out. She licked her suddenly dry lips and tried again.  
"We definitely didn't agree with his decisions but even if we had managed to convince him to not go, Kazekage-sama could have just chosen someone else to do it. I couldn't tell anyone this because it would just make things in the village worse and... he was my brother. I wanted to protect him. I'm so sorry, I know that your students meant the world to you."  
Baki nodded slowly, wanting to stay angry longer, but he could understand why she did what she did. Betraying comrades is shit, but betraying family is a thousand times worse.  
"So I presume that this boat we are searching for is somewhere far, far away from here?" he asked turning around and scanning the endless blue ocean.  
"Yes. Actually, about that..." Reina was cut off when Yuudai suddenly pulled her into a hasty hug, shutting her up in shock.

Not a second later, their captain emerged from the side of the boat. Baki and Reina both a got a sinking feeling whilst Yuudai mentally congratulated himself for his very capable inner voice that had saved his sister and himself from many other situations like this where they could have been overheard. His instincts were one of things that had kept them alive for so long, after all.

The captain didn't look as satisfied.  
"Aw. How adorable. A little family bonding moment. Just what we needed. Great timing, seriously, right in middle of a mission. HOW OLD ARE YOU? Get back to work! What are you, twelve?" he seethed, marching away.  
The three jonin behind him apologized quickly, exchanging one last look before going back to their work posts.

* * *

How many hours had past? Too many. Way too many.  
Temari cupped her hands and tried again. "GAARA!"  
Her voiced echoed eerily in the forest. Where had he gone? None of them ever left the camp alone unless it was to get food, get lost or blow off steam.  
"What happened to him? Kankuro..."  
"I don't know, OK? You followed me into the forest and when both of us returned, he was gone. How the heck am I supposed to know where he is?" grunted the puppet-nin, massaging his head. "Quit pacing, it's giving me a headache and you're freaking me out. Stop thinking about it, he can take care of himself. Think about you instead, you look terrible. You've been pacing around in the sun for ages, sit down already."

His sister stopped and leaned against a tree, sighing.  
"I'm just worried. I know that you don't remember how much he has changed, but could you act any more indifferent about this? He's our little brother."  
Kankuro stared at his working hand and clenched it into a fist. He had a sudden urge to ram himself in the head with it, so he quickly let his arm drop to the side.  
"You're right. I am worried too but, honestly, I'm even more worried when he is around. Still... You've got a point. I nearly strangled him to death before he disappeared so unless I see him back here, I probably won't sleep tonight with the fear of his revenge."

He flinched when Temari glared at him. He mentally cursed to himself. After shouting, yelling at his sister and getting everything off of his chest, he couldn't help feeling a little bad for the way he had treated the younger boy.  
It was because of people that talked like him that Gaara was psycho in the first place. As the redhead's big brother, he shouldn't be one of them. He should be kicking everyone's asses to defend his baby brother.  
He remembered some times when he did that, before he started to fear the boy. People would stare at him the way they stared at Gaara so Kankuro would stop, since he hadn't created an evil shell to protect himself from the pain it inflicted emotionally. Every glare burned more painfully than even a poisoned kunai could, no matter how tough he acted. He was still a young human being with a heart, hidden somewhere deep in his careless and ruthless smirks that used to be constantly plastered to his face.  
Not anymore though. None of them needed to hide anything from anyone other than Suna itself. Between the three siblings, Gaara was always pretty honest about his indifference towards his family. Kankuro never faked any of his complaints or angry looks at his brother's selfish attitude. Temari showed tiny parts of her concern for the broken pieces of her team.

Those times seemed an eternity away, yet the situation had returned except for the fact that, this time, Gaara actually felt something. He missed his big brother's love, his trust, his grins. He was angry at himself because the only thing he felt like doing was to sit in a tree, listening to his sister worry about him, calling him, but not giving away his hiding spot.  
He wanted to hear Kankuro say something, anything, completely positive about him. To prove to himself that wounds of the heart weren't permanent. That he had the cure all along but simply didn't notice that it was there.  
He felt terrible whenever he saw Temari's face showing a look of pain and worry. He now knew how much she had feared him, but he also knew that she truly did love and care for him all along. She was just so scared for Kankuro and her life. Gaara couldn't blame her anymore. He felt like such a monster. He had caused so much pain, and he knew it. Did that make him any less bad?

Kankuro, however, was so different than he used to be before falling off the waterfall. Above everything, the redhead wanted that big brother back, the one he never had until the shipwreck. Well, right now, the jinchuuriki was definitely not showing his face, even if his eyes no longer red from the crying he had done earlier. He knew inside that it was a cruel thing to do to his sister, but he just needed to see how his absence affected them. He wanted to prove to himself that his existence mattered to them. He needed a reason to keep Shukaku shut up and quiet, because the demon was raging in his mind, snarling furiously at his master for not wanting to satisfy his bloodlust.

The boy snapped his attention back to his siblings.  
"Kankuro! If Gaara was going to kill you he would have done it before you tried to choke him." huffed Temari, throwing the puppet-nin a frustrated look, shoving herself off of the tree and started walking around again. She nearly tripped over a root in her restlessness.  
"Maybe not. Maybe he's keeping the suspense." replied Kankuro, his eyes neutrally raking the clearing, his instincts naturally telling him to be aware of his surroundings.  
He noticed his sister sighing in his peripheral vision.  
"Why are you acting so stubborn? Kankuro, you _know _he won't do any of that to us anymore. Why are you being so hard on him? Has he been anything other than sweet and caring since you have gotten out of your little coma?"

The brunet sat up straighter against the tree trunk behind him, locking his glare with a leaf. He huffed angrily before answering.  
"What do you expect? This morning, I woke up from a nightmare of him laughing over your dead body, then I see him kill that ugly-ass animal. All that blood... It represented everything he stood for. How can I not want to be wary? I do care about his feelings, but I like being alive too, thank you very much."  
Temari winced at the mention of that dream. That dreaded dream again. Why did Kankuro's imagination have to cause so much trouble?  
"Kankuro... I've said this once and I'll say it again: dreams are not real. Quit being so hard headed about that!" She started massaging the area between her eyebrows. She was starting to get a headache too. Oh jeez, her head was felt like it was going to explode. The kunoichi's vision started to get a little spotty, but she blinked it all away. The situation was starting to get on her impatient nerves. She was so scared for Kankuro's health and mental state. She was scared for Gaara. Where the hell was he? She didn't need that extra concern on her shoulders right now. Trying to get Kankuro to forgive the redhead was hard enough, but it was so much more frustrating since said boy had mental and emotional problems too and the girl felt terrible for him. Temari would handle all of this pressure for them. She had to. She loved them, no matter what they did to each other.  
Suddenly, she lifted her head and cupped her hands around her mouth as a makeshift megaphone.

"You are both stubborn brothers!" she hollered at the top of her lungs into the forest around her, making Kankuro look up startled and nearly made Gaara fall out of his tree, but since he was a ninja, he frowned instead. "One of you won't accept that the other is no longer looking to kill him! The second is hiding from us no matter how loud I scream! Could you two give me a break? I can't keep an eye on both of you at the same time! I just..."  
Temari cut herself off when she felt her legs starting to wobble. She felt her back hit the ground and she watched as the blue sky faded to black.

The two boys were at her sides the next moment, staring down into her face in panic, feeling the early afternoon sun burning the back of their heads.  
"Huh? Where did you come from?" Blinked Kankuro, glancing at Gaara for a fraction of a second before returning his gaze to his sister. The redhead ignored the question.  
"What happened? Did she suddenly drop?" He hadn't been looking, just listening, at their conversation until he had heard the thump of a body.  
"Yes." The puppet-nin checked his sister for fever. Just a little warm, but probably only from the sun. "She didn't look as if she was feeling well before. She didn't drink any water since this morning and didn't eat that much either. She had also been chasing me around in the forest and refused to stop pacing about, sitting down for a few second before standing up again. Today the weather is particularly hot too. So my guess is that a combination of dehydration, probably stress and moving around too much has taken a lot out of her. Even the most accomplished Kage needs to sit down and breath from time to time. She should be fine soon... hopefully."

Gaara picked her up and moved her into the shade of their shelter whilst Kankuro ran to the river to soak the shirt that his brother handed him in cold water. He ducked into the hut and started wiping her face with it, being careful to rub extra gently on the practically healed cut from the shipwreck that ran diagonally from the top of her forehead into her hair.  
Trying to remember what his father had taught him about emergency safety procedures, Gaara started unconsciously tapping the left side of his chest. Kankuro noticed and frowned at this. What a strange thing to do but, in some ways, it was a quirk that his brother would probably have.

Suddenly, the jinchuuriki's mental light-bulb sparkled as memory returned. He moved down Temari's unconscious body and propped her lower body up on his knees. Kankuro nodded.  
"Yeah, that helps bring the blood back in her brain. Having her heart higher than her head." he hummed to himself for a few seconds, then stopped, leaving the silence to speak for itself.  
Both of the boys couldn't help feeling guilty. Kankuro felt that if had comforted her instead of telling her about how scared he was of Gaara she wouldn't have been so stressed out. Gaara felt that if he hadn't been hiding in the tree eavesdropping then Temari wouldn't have freaked out and started shouting in her condition.  
Even if they were blaming themselves, the brothers thought that the other was rightfully hating them for this.

Moments later, Temari's eyes blinked open. She saw both of her brothers staring down at her in concern.  
"Are you OK?" They chorused at the same time. There was an awkward moment between the boys, until their sister chuckled softly.  
"Wow... I haven't fainted in years..." She gulped at how dry her mouth was. Gaara rushed out to get her some water before she continued talking. "I think that I should have sat down instead of... of pacing around... Um... How long was I out?" She knew enough not to move quite yet, since it would only make everything worse. She didn't feel like moving anyway, her bed of leaves, soft sand and moss was pretty comfy at the moment.

"A few minutes. Must be the heat. You should stay in the shadows until the sun goes down a bit, or you might pass out again." replied the puppet-nin, scooting away from her to lie down on his own bed. "You scared the crap out of me for a moment there, sis."  
Deciding that he didn't to be the only one still sitting, Gaara lied down on his completely unused bed. A sigh escaped his lips before he could stop it. Damn, beds did feel good.

"Actually, Gaara? Why do you even have a bed? You don't sleep or anything." wondered Kankuro out loud. Gaara felt irritation creep up in his nerves.  
"_You_ were the one that insisted that even I needed relaxation to avoid going crazy..." he muttered loud enough for Kankuro to hear.  
"Oh, OK..." Kankuro said back, thinking about how ironic that was, with Gaara being who he was.  
"If you're thinking about how ironic it is since I'm already crazy, then we already had that conversation that you can't remember."  
"I wasn't thinking about that..." lied the puppet-nin, sweat-dropping about how his brother read his mind. Man, something must have happened if he and the redhead had a psychic bond. Then again, Kankuro knew he wasn't particularly hard to read.

After about ten minutes, Gaara slowly sat up and frowned at the sight that anyone else would have found funny. Temari was drooling and Kankuro was sucking his thumb. They must have been pretty darn tired if they had fallen asleep this early into the afternoon. Feeling restless, the jinchuuriki stood up and decided to search for their next meal. No point wasting time lying down when he wasn't even feeling tired.

Whilst looking for food, his mind couldn't help but wander. The terrible relationship between him and Kankuro seemed to have slightly improved when they had both worried about the one loved one they had in common: Temari, their big sister.  
Loved ones... Did that prove him human?  
At that moment, his brother seemed to have accepted that Gaara would never hurt her and that he really cared about her. And it made the redhead realize that no matter how much of a tough, responsible sister front Temari put up, she needed people to take care of her too. That must have been why she seemed so happy a few days earlier when he and Kankuro had made breakfast for her. Their sister was the only person the two boys could count on to always love and protect them no matter what (especially now that Gaara had lost Kankuro's trust) and maybe she just wanted to know that her family would do the same for her.

And they would, of course. The kunoichi probably didn't realize this but, and Gaara knew that Kankuro would agree with him, they really appreciated how much she did for them. It made a world of difference whenever she smiled and hugged them. The redhead would probably chose the girl over anything, same for Kankuro, who he loved just as much, even if their clashing attitudes, dark past and present made them get into more fights than most people would deem necessary.

**"Well, all these thoughts wouldn't even be necessary if you just killed him."**

"I know, Shukaku. But, sometimes, it's worth giving a thought for people you care about." sighed Gaara, deciding that running through trees would help get rid of his restlessness.

**"Oh, so if we get back to the village, could you feed me then?" **asked the demon, obviously in a more compromising mood now that he accepted that Gaara wasn't going to use his sand coffin on his siblings anytime soon. If he was, he would have done so when his brother had hurt him.

"If they try to erase my existence, or my siblings', then yes, you'll get your blood." nodded the jinchuuriki, remembering the hateful looks he used to get from the people of Suna. Thinking of those looks made him want to kill someone, so he tried to think about something else.

**"Psh, your the most boring host ever now. I liked you better before." **whined Shukaku **"You used to actually be cool and awesome and killed stupid humans when I told you to. Now, all you kill is poultry."**

The redhead rolled his eyes as his sand closed about a bird's neck, suffocating it quickly. He did miss using his sand coffin on bigger targets, but for some reason he no longer felt... that thrill of seeing blood spilled by his hand. Sure, he still thought blood was beautiful and a sign of his power but he just didn't want to hurt people for it anymore.  
He knew what family was now. It made his insides squish up to think that he was taking somebody's brother or sister every time he had set his sand on someone. He didn't regret doing it, however, because it was his life or theirs. And why the heck would he pick one of those cruel people's life over his own? The only ones in this entire world who have done any good to him were Temari and, well, Kankuro, until he forgot the changes that took place during their island stay.

Sometimes though, he wondered...  
What would it be like to have other people call his a precious person? To be able to trust another and to have villagers trust him?  
If they didn't try to endanger him, then he wouldn't have any excuse to hurt them... As if they would believe that, since even his brother didn't want to be too close to him.  
Would it be nice have more people consider him as... Gaara? Actually, who was he? A powerful, respectable ninja who's terrifying strength could be used for protecting loved ones instead of murdering them all... or was he simply always going to be that demon child who is hated by everyone, even his own family.

No.  
Temari didn't hate him. She loved him and saw him as her little brother. He had faith that Kankuro didn't completely despise him so that he could win his trust back. There was some hope for him and he saw it.  
Never mind that his situation was unpromising and that Shukaku was trying to rip his mentality to shreds.  
For one of the first times in his life, Gaara of the Desert believed in himself. He handled this much in his life and, right now, he actually felt like smiling. If he had made it this far and, instead of killing his siblings, had gained his sister's love and learned to love others, he was no monster.  
Not a monster. Not a demon. Just Gaara.  
And whoever this Gaara was, he was ready to make the first step towards real bonds with people. Because, apart from his father, assassins and Yashamaru, none of the villagers had really tried to hurt him. They were scared of him and had every right to be so. The redhead had terrified them on purpose after his uncle's betrayal and, before that, he wasn't able to control his power

If only they could see him now.  
Gaara turned around a headed back to the camp so that he could bring his family three murdered, bloody, horribly disfigured... birds.

**"Ha ha ha... Not funny."**

* * *

Gaara really, really hated plucking and gutting animals before eating them. It made him want to go island vegetarian. He couldn't, of course. He was the boy who made their chefs cook meat for him at least five times a week.  
Man, he missed his chefs. He felt kind of bad for never telling them that their food was freaking delicious. He normally just ate and left.

"Gaara, what are you..."

The jinchuuriki turned to see his brother ducking out of the hut, eyes fixed on him. He flinched at the intense look in the puppet master's gaze. He was not in the mood to be gawked at again.  
Then, the younger boy was shocked because his brother started laughing.  
"Dude, you look like a chicken with all those feathers in your hair... OW."  
Kankuro groaned and hugged his mending ribs. He truly despised being injured.

Gaara's invisible eyebrow twitched.  
"Shut up. At least I don't wear a hat that makes me look like a cat then paint purple whiskers all over my face..." growled the redhead, death glaring at his brother. This made the older boy shut up, even if he just wanted to laugh more. He was overstepping it, making fun of a guy like Gaara.

There was a moment of silence before the puppet-nin opened his mouth again.  
"Gaara... I don't get... How could you... What happened... Um, I mean, are you making food?" The boy nearly face palmed at his fear of having a real conversation with the redhead. For six years, he lived with constant death threats. For six years before that, he was warned to stay away from Gaara. How could all of that have changed in such a short period of time? That was what the brunet had wanted to ask.

"Yes. Both of you needed to rest." came the jinchuuriki's reply. Since he was staring intently at the bird, he shifted his eyes occasionally to keep an eye on Kankuro. That boy was an even worse trouble magnet than him. How could he have gotten into so many near death experiences on a deserted island? Hypothermia, waterfall, almost getting eaten by a beast...  
"That's... nice. Here, I'll help." He grabbed a kunai, a bird and started doing some dirty work. "If it makes Temari happy like she was last time we made her a meal, then it's totally worth all the gutting."

Gaara nodded his agreement. Plus, he enjoyed these moments with Kankuro, even if the last time he had made a meal with him he didn't even remember who the redhead was.  
In a few minutes, the two boys were covered from head to toe in blood.  
The jinchuuriki wiped some of the liquid off of his chest, having removed his shirt before it could get to badly ruined.  
"How can such small animals hold so much blood?" huffed the boy, clearly irritated. He normally loved blood, but this one just smelled funny.

"I know, right? How could Temari and Baki-sensei keep these so clean when we were out on missions?" added the puppet-nin, accidentally stabbing an artery while trying to cut off the bird's leg, resorting in a spurt of blood. He laughed. "Man, using one arm only is hard. This critter keep won't keep still."  
Gaara rolled his eyes. The animals were long dead.  
"Must be our violent natures and lack of delicacy." he suggested. He frowned when he noticed how much more of a mess he was making than Kankuro. Knowing what the older boy did ten seconds ago, that was saying something. Then again, creating puppets was a work of precision and patience, whilst crushing things with sand was butch and manly.  
Gaara felt a little better with that thought.

Half an hour later, the meals were skewered and ready to be roasted over a fire that Gaara had started.  
He was glad that, though Kankuro avoided talking too much to him, he seemed to be less uncomfortable. He still wished that his brother would remember everything they went through, though. If only he could find the key to the memories. One thing that could unblock everything else.

After a few minutes of watching the meat cook slowly, a tired looking blonde emerged form the hut, rubbing her eyes.  
"Woah. This is the second time you two try to make a meal and the camp site still hasn't burned down yet... I'm impressed." she smirked, sitting down between the two boys. She looked at them up and down and make a face. "You two look like the food. You're covered in blood."

Gaara and Kankuro exchanged a look, then both glared at their sister.  
"You should look at yourself, sis. You've got so many leaves in your hair, you could blend right into Konoha." grumbled the puppet-nin.  
Temari laughed and shook her head, getting rid of most of the stuff in it. She then straightened herself and smiled at her brothers, showing how happy they were making her yet again.  
"So, what are we going to eat?" she asked.

Gaara nodded towards the barbeque.  
"That, as long as it doesn't burn."

* * *

**I'm sorry for the incredibly long wait. I was on my break.  
The next chapter of 'The Battle Plan' was half written, but I think it sucks so I'm might start over.  
How was the chapter? Review? Please? *insert adorable smile here*  
Apologies and love and cookies and whatever you guys like,  
HimekoUchia**


	16. The Hole In My Heart

**Gah I'm so sorry for the terrible lateness! Between school trips, holidays, at least a dozen exams, IGCSE fake mocks (two years before the actual exam, our school is creative...), French International Brevet mocks... projects, 3 writing contests, helping out friends in need and dealing with family problems, writing fanfic has taken a backseat.  
I will finish it, of course. I won't ever leave work incomplete if I can help it, just as I have said a gazillion times. I just have other problems to tend to.  
Thanks for reviewing the last chapter! I don't own Naruto. Just my two OCs. And any random ninja I put in.  
Now, I will get on with the story.  
In the last chapter, Baki found out about the Kazekage's plan. Kankuro still doesn't remember Gaara's change but the tension is getting better.**

* * *

"The search party is not going anywhere near that island. Are you sure that..."  
Reina cut Baki off.  
"I studied the map and the storm forecast. Knowing that the boat sunk around here..." She drew a small circle with her finger on the paper. "... and that the storm was blowing south-east, the shipwreck must have been pushed in this direction at a pretty high speed. Since the storm ended at around 0100 hours I calculated how far it should have been out into the sea. After that, any survivors would have peacefully floated along with the ocean's current and, therefor, end up on this island, or nearby. It's mostly math."

Baki nodded, though he hadn't completely understood how Reina could have calculated all of that. He decided that she was most likely correct, since she was a jonin for a reason.

The three had met up in the storage room after the night shifts had relieved them. It was well after midnight and most of their comrades were exhausted after many sleep deprived days and had all passed out.  
Reina and Yuudai, however, had needed to explain in more detail to Baki why the Kazekage was a bastard and had purposely given them wrong coordinates so that they would never locate the shipwreck.  
"We have to inform the captain of this immediately." said Baki.  
"No can do, man. We've tried that. We're under strict orders from the Kazekage himself. Our time and resources are limited and the whole search party going to that island would be very inconvenient, for sure. If you wanted to swim there, it would take at least a day and half from out current location. Good luck, but you're on your own for that." snorted Yuudai, earning a glare from the other two adults.

Suddenly, they heard the storage room door creak open wider, then hurried footsteps running away.

The three jonin glanced at each other in horror. How could they have not noticed an eavesdropper? It was probably the complete exhaustion, but that wasn't a good enough reason for any shinobi, especially elite, to ignore the golden rule: be utterly aware of your surroundings.  
The sprinted out the door then into the cabin lined with bunks, that each held a sleeping figure (except for their three beds).

"At least one of them is faking sleep. Stay alert." whispered Baki, as the three ninja parted ways and each went towards their bunk, ready to stay in slumber forever and never have to face the horrible reality.  
They had acted clumsily, and now they could face terrible consequences.

* * *

"How long have we been out here?" asked Kankuro, frowning and throwing a kunai at a tree, watching as it sunk into the bark.  
Both of his siblings glared holes at him and opened their mouths, but Gaara beat Temari to it.  
"Kankuro, stop that. You're going to hurt yourself" seethed Gaara, frustrated by his brother's carelessness.

The puppet-nin wanted to retort, but then he realized that the redhead was right.  
"Right. I'm injured. How long have we been here?" he repeated.

"I'm not too sure anymore. More than a week, for sure." sighed Temari, stepping over some thick tree roots protruding from the soil. "I've stopped counting. I don't really care anymore, I'm fine being stuck on this island with you two. We've got a little shelter and a camp. We could always start building something more proper... Like a house with windows, furniture, a bathroom or anything that you are able to make, Kankuro."  
"9 days. We were on this island for 9 days. It's seemed like much more... or much less. There is nothing left at the village for me to miss. Except for watching the sunset over the endless sand dunes of the desert." added Gaara.

The older boy started massaging the spot between his eyebrows.  
"Nice speeches, you two, but I meant how long have we been out here _in the forest_?" he grunted, a smirk pulling at his lips.  
"Oh..." Temari sheepishly rubbed the back of her neck. "A couple hours. It's the first day in ages where the sun isn't baking the island, so a little exploration and walking is nice, right?"  
"I guess." shrugged Kankuro. "It's cooler today."

Indeed, the atmosphere was fresh and humid, something that never happened in Suna, since there was probably going to be an upcoming storm later that day. That was also a possible explanation for the siblings' irritability. The weather really does influence moods.

They continued their little journey until they heard a distant snarling sound. All three of them stopped moving instinctively.  
"What was that?" huffed Kankuro, his poker face in place to hide the horrible shiver than ran up and down his spine.  
"I don't know. You two want to check it out?" Temari asked, only because she was starting to get bored of walking and that any form of danger excited her to some extent. She wasn't worried about them getting attacked by anything, knowing that Gaara was with them and that they all carried kunais.

"Let's go see." said Gaara, already walking towards the source of the noise.  
The siblings made their way through the trees.

The sound got louder and louder, until only a few trees separated them from what was making all those creepy snarls.  
Gaara stepped forward first and made a slightly disgusted face at what he saw.  
"We found the nest." he breathed, narrowing his eyes.  
Temari and Kankuro observed the scene in front of them, the latter flinching as it reminded him of a bloody memory.

There was about half a dozen of the strange 'beasts' that the siblings had encountered a few days ago. Fur less, piecing gaze, sharp teeth...  
The creatures turned towards the ninja when they emerged from the forest but made no move to attack. It seemed as if their hunger was satisfied with the shredded carcass lying in the middle of the clearing. However, Gaara took one look at their bloody jaws and lifted his palm, almost instinctively.

"Sand Coff-..."  
Kankuro grabbed his arm, silencing the teenagers as they all stared in shock at the boy's action.  
The puppet-nin hastily let go.  
"Ah! I'm sorry Gaara. I didn't mean to do that..." he mumbled, crossing his arms over his chest, his breath hitching in fear. He kept his eyes fixed on his brother, in case he was going to react violently.

The redhead only stared at him in surprise and mild frustration, then he recomposed himself.  
"You don't want me to kill them, Kankuro?" he asked.  
The puppet master opened his mouth but wasn't sure how to reply. He could see the tension in Gaara's arm, and he knew from experience that that meant that the junchuuriki was aching to kill. But, right now, he couldn't stand seeing death by the redhead's hand. It made memory after memory overwhelm him with fear. He couldn't remember when he used to be so terrified of seeing his brother murder, but, being stranded on a deserted island with his sister as the only other person here, he didn't want Gaara to go crazy. If something happened to Temari and him, nobody would ever know.

"No. I don't." announced Kankuro, summoning up his bravery. "You should let them live. They didn't attack us first."

Gaara gave his brother a long stare, then glanced back at the animals that had by now resumed messily eating. Taking a second look, it looked as if the meal was one of their own kind. Cannibalistic. The redhead's finger twitched in longing, but he dropped his hand by his side. What Kankuro thought about him was more important than his blood deprivation.  
"Fine."

The older boy was slightly shocked at his brother's obedience, but felt a sens of pride well up in his chest. For the first time that he could remember, he had managed to stop Gaara from killing. Usually, Temari or their father were the only people who could do that.  
"Cool. Should we walk around a little more to find a fruit tree? Or some birds. I'm hungry. Man, thank god this island is fertile."

Temari rolled her eyes.  
"You're always hungry, you fat ass!" she growled.  
Kankuro snorted.  
"It's not fat. It's muscle." he stated, poking his firm abs that were covered in only a tiny layer of flab, since he hadn't been moving much since he had injured himself.  
"Yeah, sure it is. Your muscles must be awfully shy then, hiding behind your fatness." huffed Temari.

"Well, I'm walking. I will not stand for such immature remarks." He smirked when he saw his sister twitch at that. Before she could smash his face open, however, the puppet-nin escaped into the trees, followed by Gaara.  
Temari looked back once at the beasts, waved them goodbye, and turned to follow her brothers. She watched the back of their heads the entire time, smiling to herself.

* * *

"Hurry up! It's gonna rain and I want to be in the shelter by then!" shouted Temari, which was understandable since all three of them loathed storms and destructive weather, having grown up in the dry desert and also because storms meant trouble. It meant shipwreck and losing Kankuro. Then nearly losing Kankuro to hypothermia.  
They really hated rain.

"Man! If we get wet, it's your fault, Kankuro! You kept eating more and more! You're big enough!" growled the girl, smirking when she saw her brother glare at her.  
"Hey, I was hungry! Not everyone can be born with the 'skinny bitch' gene!" snapped back the puppet-nin.  
Gaara had to hold on to his sister's arm to stop her from severely maiming Kankuro.  
"Not now. We have to get back." he said calmly, making his brother shut up and his sister smile.  
"Yeah you're right. I'll beat Kankuro up later."  
Now, the puppet-nin wasn't too sure whether he had to be more terrified of Gaara or Temari.

The made it back to their little habitat by the time the first raindrops were washing down from the sky. The three teenagers ran into their shelter and slid the door in place behind them. They sat with their backs pressed to the cool stone of the cave wall their hut was built against, and hoped that the storm would go away soon.

In a hour or so, the storm was howling outside their shelter.  
"Darn. Good job Kankuro, I'm surprised this little hut didn't smash into pieces yet." whistled Temari, eying the shaking roof, praying that it wouldn't burst any second. Water was dripping through the tiny cracks in the wood though, and Gaara eyed the darken spots in the sand were the drops landed in disgust.  
"The trick is to get a flexible material to build with, so that it doesn't snap, and dig down a little deep and plant it into the grown, or the shelter would simply be blown away. I would probably have to repair a few cracks, though, since the storm is pretty vicious."  
He glanced at the few wooden sticks used on the left wall of their hut, that had bent and snapped under the pressure of wind. He was glad that he had left tiny gaps between sticks, so that the full strength of the storm wouldn't press against his masterpiece, but wiggle its way through the walls instead.

However, that meant that the inside of the shelter was still freezing and humid, so the two boys had huddled into their sister to keep warm (since Kankuro didn't get how it could be mentally possible to cuddle Gaara, even if he was turning into an icicle).  
Temari kept her arms around her brothers, partly because the storm worried her and because she wanted to make sure both of them were there. She didn't want any of her brothers escaping into the night and getting lost forever.

Before being shipwrecked onto this island, they would have laughed and/or snorted at anyone suggesting that, one day, they would be holding each other through a storm. But after everything that had happened, it was warm and comforting. Gaara just wished that Kankuro would remember. Just remember. He had a gaping hole in his heart since he was six, and with all these experiences they had shared, all the pain they went through together, it had slowly started to fill up. But Kankuro having amnesia tore a chunk out of the still raw softness of his heart, leaving another cold and dark hole that could only be mended by his brother's missing love. What was it Uncle said about wounds of the heart?  
Kankuro's memory was only missing the key, the proof that something happened, since seeing the redhead's drastic change of personality wasn't proof to him, it just confused and freak him out.

"Only at this moment do I truly miss Sunagakure." said the jinchuuriki blankly, crossing his arms to stop heat from escaping his body. He hated this weather.  
"Makes sense, that you would completely loath anything involving rain..." mumbled Kankuro. "Anything could attack right now and you wouldn't have any dry sand to protect yourself."  
"To protect us." snapped Gaara automatically, who couldn't help getting impatient at his brother's vision of him. But then, he felt guilty. It wasn't Kankuro's fault. "I hate vulnerability more than anything, but if we were attacked, all three of us could easily take on the enemy, no matter what it is. Except you, Kankuro. You're wounded, so you would be forced to stay seated."

Temari was thoroughly impressed by the way her youngest brother had handled the entire situation. She had expected the worst, but now she knew that she could truly trust him with their lives. He went through Kankuro's fear, hate and abandonment and he hadn't hurt a single hair on his head. She was proud. So very proud of Gaara. He had grown into such a strong person in so little time. She was sure that their mother would have been very proud as well, no matter what their father had said about her cursing him.

The puppet-nin glanced at his brother, who's eyes stared back at him in hurt, anger and... concern. At this moment, he couldn't deny that his little brother obviously cared about him. Gaara was looking at him as if he would face his greatest fear to keep him safe. Would he really do that for him?  
"Is this the first storm we went through? I can't remember any other ones since the shipwreck." he asked, trying to make conversation, since his lips were turning blue.  
"No. It's the third, if we count the shipwreck one. There was another storm a few days after our arrival on the island." answered Gaara.

"Really? How was it?" wondered Kankuro, tightening his grip on Temari's arm when he felt a cold shiver run through his body.  
"Horrible. You ran off to get food on your own and got lost, you moron." snapped the girl, frowning at the memory. "Gaara had to go out into the rain and find you. You nearly died of hypothermia that day. What an idiot."

Kankuro wasn't too sure if he could truly believe that. The idea of Gaara risking himself to save his life was impossible to him. His whole childhood, he had learned that his brother was a selfish, aggressive and uncaring demon. He had given up hopes on ever having a normal family relationship with him years ago, and now it seemed to have happened. But he couldn't remember it, and it bothered him the most. Gaara had always growled when he messed up on missions, telling him that he was dragging their team down. He had blocked all of those insults out then, but now they were returning, because he felt that the redhead had been right.

"But he didn't die." suddenly added Gaara. "And that's all that matters."

The puppet-nin lied back onto the cold stone, smiling to himself. This was incredible. To be defended by his little brother. No other feeling could be better.

Kankuro shifted a bit, his leg going numb, and he scratched the bottom of his back on something abnormal in the cave wall. Frowning, he put a hand behind his back and searched the stone. He ran his fingers along something carved in the rock. It seemed to be letters. Words? One long straight vertical ligne... "I"... then a "p"...  
In a few seconds, the Gaara's handwriting became clearer and Kankuro's mind numb, only a blur of incomprehensible thoughts racing through his head.

_I promise to bring our brother back. Keep warm. Never lose hope._

Gaara. He had called him his 'brother'... Gaara wrote this for Temari when he got lost in the rain. So it was true. Not only did his little brother save his life, but he tried to make sure their sister was alright.  
He shivered at the memory. The icy cold cave walls, all alone, thunder outside... Then waking up between his two siblings. Why had he ran out into the storm last time? Oh, right something about food. Then, they had fixed the door of the shelter. More than once, since Temari had broken it. Thrice. They had laughed so much that day. Then Gaara a tripped him into the river...  
Kankuro smirked. That was a memory he would remember forever.

"No way... I've got to give you credit, Gaara. You keep your promises better than me. If it weren't for you, I would certainly have frozen to death. The day we found the shipwreck, I promised to keep you and Temari safe, but I haven't been doing that properly either. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Gaara." His siblings turned to stare at him in confusion. "Temari was right, you do have a way with words. Amazing how a few simple ones can change a person's view on you. And unblock some pretty incredible memories..."  
He smiled when Temari and Gaara's face lightened when they realized what he was saying.

"You remember? You remember everything?" gasped the kunoichi.  
"Yeah, it's slowly coming back to me." nodded Kankuro, squeezing his eyes tightly to keep tears from leaking out. "How could I have forgotten all of it? I'm so sorry." he apologized again.  
"You fell off a waterfall, it wasn't your fault." replied Temari hastily, carefully hugging her brother closer to herself, grinning madly.  
"I'm still sorry. I can't tell you how much. I nearly ruined everything that we had achieved together." he reached across the room, placing his hand on his brother's shoulder.

"You remember me? So you don't hate me anymore?" asked the redhead, still surprised at the turn of events.  
"I remember everything and I never hated you, as I have told you a million times. I had twelve years of fear as the only memories of you. Now, I have a week of pretty cool stuff in my head too. The short amazing parts overtake the darker past, that's for sure. Now, that's something only you could do, little bro." he sniffed and smiled wider when Gaara's lips twitched up, his eyes shining with painful happiness.  
"I missed you." said the redhead, finally relieved, in peace and his heart healed. His brother accepted him once again.  
"So did I." answered Kankuro, pulling his two siblings into a hug, before they sat through the stormy night.

"You know what..." suddenly announced Temari. "Now that everything is back the way it should be, I think that we should really start on making our home here more permanent."  
"Yeah." huffed Kankuro, eying the leaking ceiling. "And create a small farm to have more food. Who knows how winter is going to be like on this island? Or how soon it's going to come?"  
"If its winter is colder than it is right now, then we are going to need... a fire. To keep warm." added Gaara.  
"Keep all of those ideas in mind. We have all the time in the world to get started." smirked Kankuro, thinking about all the things they could do now that they have accepted that this island was home.

* * *

"Hey... Hey... Wake up... Psssst... Wake up!"  
Baki's eyes sprung open and he instinctively threw a punch at whoever had woken him up. He missed but jumped out of his bed and drew a kunai.  
"Shhh... Keep quiet! Don't wake anyone up! Just follow me." hissed the stranger, carefully placing a hand on Baki's shoulder so that he could guide him out of the dormitories. Not knowing what else he could do, the man let himself get dragged gently onto the deck.

After a few seconds, he completely snapped out of his dream state and his heart turned to an icicle when he realized what might be happening. The person who had overheard them the night before had probably told a few people what had happened and he was going to be exterminated for treason. He had been waiting for this moment all day.

"I'm not going down without a fight." whispered Baki, readying his jutsu. He was dragged into the moonlight and he saw the face of his attacker.  
"Baki-san, we're not going to attack you." said the person calmly. Another man came up behind him, along with Reina and Yuudai, who both looked alert.

That's when Baki recognized the young boy who had woken him up. He was a chunin and, if Yuudai had been correct when telling the story, he was the boy who had convinced the ship captain to continue searching for the shipwreck when they were supposed to abandon their mission. He searched Reina's face and when she smiled, he reckoned that it was safe to lower his kunai.  
"Sorry. I wasn't informed of this... meeting..." stated Baki.  
The second man nodded his head.  
"Neither were these two." he gestured to the jonin siblings. "We had to get you at this time of the night because that's when our shift is, so no one would be at this side of the boat."

"So, now that Baki-san is here, would you two care to explain what's going on?" asked Reina.

The young chuunin nodded, but motioned for the group of ninja to follow him.  
"I'll explain while we walk, we have to be fast. I was the one who overheard you guys yesterday, talking about how you found out where the shipwreck really is. My friend and I have been suspecting something along those lines for some times now, but we couldn't do anything about it because we had no idea where to go. But you, Reina-san, have a map, do you?" he questioned, stepping over the ropes that he nearly tripped over because of the dark.

The woman stared at him warily.  
"Yes... I do. Why?"  
The older man jumped into a lifeboat floating in the sea.  
"Isn't it obvious? You have a map, we have a compass and a boat. We've grabbed some food. Let's get the heck out of here."

"Kazekage-sama will be furious!" gasped Baki, even if he was already stepping over the railings, into the small boat.  
"Call me young and selfish, but I don't care. He thought that none of us were going to find out about this. We didn't tell anyone but, if there is a chance that my little sister is alive out there, I'm going to find her." snorted the chuunin, checking that all five of them were safely seated, then sliced the rope tying them to the main ship. Baki nodded to himself, silently thanking the young man for taking this hasty, ridiculous decision that he would never have taken himself. He didn't regret betraying the Kazekage, for he needed something to fill in the gap in his heart. Information, facts, hopefully the sight of his students...

The four jonins and one chuunin started rowing away, keeping low, the dead silence of the night only interrupted by the occasional breath or splash.

* * *

**Well, this took a long time to write... Every time I reread it, I kept finding typos. Hate those.  
I hope that the chapter was good! Turn of events, the end is approaching...  
I've loved writing this story for you readers. No worries, we still have a few chapters left before we part. I hoped you enjoyed this chapter, and leave a review if you want to!  
Early merry Christmas for ANIMSHWY readers!  
XOXO ~~~ HimekoUchia (Growing up is not only accepting that others aren't perfect, but it's also accepting that you don't have to be either. Wise author words. Quotable.)**


	17. Memories and Scars

**Well... This is very late once again. Thank you guys for the reviews and I apologize for the latemess but I do have loads of stuff to do. I've got Brevet Blancs (mock GCSE) very soon so the workload isn't very light. I will always write because it makes me so happy :).  
Now, I don't own anything that doesn't belong to me. On with the story. Thanks to one of my anonymous reviewers for giving me one of the ideas in the chapter! This next section is dedicated to you!**

* * *

"Temari, you're snoring again..." huffed Kankuro, shoving his sister in the arm. The girl frowned and opened her eyes.  
"I wasn't even asleep..." she groaned.  
The three siblings tensed as another muffled, roaring sound reached their ears. They looked out the shelter door, into the dark night and still heavy rain.  
"It came from somewhere out there. Damn it, I never managed to completely finish that fence around the campsite. Something must have gotten in." groaned Kankuro.  
"I'll go see what it is." said Gaara calmly, standing up and arming himself with a kunai. Temari grabbed his arm.  
"It's still raining outside, Gaara. You hate water. I'll go check it out instead."

The redhead narrowed his eyes.  
"I'm the only one who is completely healthy." he stated. "It could be dangerous. It's probably those cannibalistic animals searching for more food."  
His sister rolled her eyes.  
"My wounds are fixed already. I can take care of this myself. If something goes wrong I'll shout."

Thinking for a second, Gaara nodded. Shukaku's blood lust was nearly nonexistent during storms so he had no urges to kill but he could see his sister's fingers closed tightly over a kunai. No matter how much they had all changed and relaxed, not having to conform themselves to their society anymore, they all still had ninja blood running through their veins. The need to brave danger, to attack, to fight was always returning.

Gaara sat himself besides Kankuro, who was lying on his bed, eyes closed and watched his sister exit through the door. Deep inside, he felt more than a bit worried. If anything bad happened to Temari, he didn't know what he could do. Of course, he loved Kankuro, but his sister was what kept their family together and in peace. She had always known what to say to him whenever he got pissed at his brother, calming him and stopping him from killing Kankuro. Gaara was afraid that if Temari was gone and by some horrible disaster Kankuro lost his memory and started fearing him again, he wouldn't know how to deal with it. It could only end up in tears or blood.  
However, the jinchuuriki knew that Temari was the strongest kunoichi in the village for a reason.

"I really can't see anything through this rain..." huffed Temari, squinting her eyes, trying to see in this stormy night. Then, she smirked. "This makes everything all the more challenging then."  
From the trees emerged one large animal, snarling at her. Then another. And another. A pack of them started circling her thinking that, alone, she would probably make easy prey.  
Temari closed her eyes and let herself get guided by faint, beastly sounds alone. In another scenario, she wouldn't feel like killing a bunch of animals but these things were ferocious, hungry and would gladly eat Kankuro in his sleep. Or maybe even hurt Gaara since, without dry sand, he was vulnerable.

The kunoichi spun around and used a kunai strengthened with wind chakra to slice clear through one of the creatures. It gave a sick squeal before dropping to the ground. The girl had to kill a couple more of the invaders before the rest of the pack understood that they were going to die. They all suddenly started to hiss and growl loudly, before turning around and escaping into the storm. Temari decided to let them go, since the ground was already yellowish red with bloody rain.  
"The rest of you can live. It's nothing personal anyway." she muttered, then walked into the shelter, sliding the door shut behind her.

Kankuro closed an eye when he saw her and started laughing.  
"What was that? A slaughter house?" he chuckled. His sister gently smacked him on the head.  
"Oh shut up. It's really not that satisfying to murder defenseless animals." snorted the kunoichi.  
"They had teeth." pointed out Gaara.  
"But I had this." smirked Temari, showing him her crimson stained kunai. She ran her tongue across the blade and made a face. "Ew. Never doing that again. The blood tastes awful. Slightly rotten or poisoned. I don't think that their meat would be very good either then."  
Her two brothers huffed in disappointment. For shinobi without a stable source of food, meat was meat, except if it tasted unhealthy.

"How long is this storm going to last?" frowned Gaara, eying the rain angrily and lying against Temari's side since the cold was biting at his skin. Kankuro hummed peacefully, letting sand run through is fingers.  
"You never know. I guess none of us will be getting sleep either, since it's pretty damn loud. Since we'll be staying on this island for a really long time, we will just have to get use to it. It's no louder that Temari's snoring, that's for sure."  
His sister glared daggers at him.  
"You're lucky you're pathetically wounded or I would kick your ass."

* * *

"Shit!" swore the ship captain, making everyone in the room cringe. The man never even cursed in public before. "Those traitors! They're gone! I knew right away that the siblings and that young chuunin couldn't be trusted, but I expected so much more from the others, especially from Lord Kazekage's best jonin, Baki-san."  
"Where are they? Were could they want to go?" asked another shinobi, looking out to the sea. The horizon was void of floating boats, so it meant that the escapees were long gone.  
The captain shrugged and turned around. He remembered Reina showing him a map earlier, but he knew that he wasn't even allowed to suggest changing the boat's course.  
"We have a mission to complete. If they aren't back before we get to the shore, pack up and leave for Suna, then Kazekage-sama will decide what to do about them."

* * *

"Yuudai-san, sleep, you've been at it all night." ordered Baki, taking the oars from the man. They were lucky that the ocean was bringing them the direction that they wanted because it would have been an exhausting nightmare to fight against the current. "How far are we from our destination?"  
"Far. But we are getting closer." smiled Reina, checking her map and compas, letting her brother lie his head on her lap so that he could rest while it wasn't his turn to row. He almost instantly fell asleep. "We are also far enough from the ship that they wouldn't be able to come after us."

Baki nodded and glanced down at Yuudai, the young chuunin and the jonin's (he had forgotten to ask for their names) sleeping forms and looked back at Reina. It was just both of them once again, just like when they are traveling together  
When she noticed him looking at her, the woman smiled.  
"I hope you don't mind me asking, Baki-san, but do you have anymore memories of your students that you wouldn't mind sharing? They really help pass the time and you are really quite a storyteller. Everyone was listening to you back at camp, even those who hated the Kazekage's children."

The man nodded, fearing boredom as well, and started searching through his mind for something interesting to share. He spoke while rowing, occasionally having Reina tell him to turn the boat a little bit whenever it went to much to one side. Baki was impressed at her precise, mathematical genius.  
So he shared his memories and she sat listening to him, smiling at the man's devotion. If he had kids of his own one day, they would be very lucky children. She wished that her future husband resembled Baki, if only a little.

* * *

"I hate storms." groaned Temari when she saw the completely wrecked campsite. "I can't believe that we have to clean everything up again."  
"Can I use sand this time?" tried Gaara. The bright sun had baked the ground dry already but leaves, branches, mud and quite a lot of red patches were covering the campsite.  
The kunoichi nodded quickly.  
"Of course. I made us pick everything by hand the first time because I wanted an excuse to have us all doing something together. But now... Clean would be great." admitted Temari sheepishly.

In a few minutes, all of the solid debris were crushed and the blood had been absorbed into the sand, leaving the clearing spotless.  
"And you made us do everything by hand..." Kankuro shook his head in frustration.  
Temari grinned guiltily.  
"Well, at least this time we have more time to take care of ourselves. I mean, come on boys, we look awful."

For the first time since the ship wreck, the siblings took time to look at themselves properly. Temari had a huge point.  
All their hair, especially her's, was tangled up, filled with sand, long and looked more like messy vines than hair. Their clothes were ripped, dirty and stained with blood. Their nails were a strange blackish red color and their skin was burned and muddy.  
"Meh." shrugged Kankuro. "Can't see the problem."  
He received two withering looks from his siblings.  
"Kankuro, our state is repulsive." said Gaara, scrunching up his face. "If you don't clean up in the river I'll push you again."

The older boy put his good hand up in defeat and slowly waded into the stream, making sure not to further damage his broken arm. He was soon joined by his family.

Temari gave off a very loud groan.  
"I'm so filthy I feel as if my skin is peeling off. I should have stood in the storm a little longer last night." she sighed, running her fingers through her hair. When she encountered too many knots, she huffed and grabbed a kunai, then started hacking three inches off her hair. "Since Kankuro has got an arm in a sling could you get the back for me, Gaara? Just cut off the tips and even it out. My hair is too damaged anyway."  
The boy nodded and did as he was instructed. When he was done he handed the knife back to his sister. She ran he fingers through her hair again and smiled.  
"Much better. Now it's your turn Gaara. Then I'll take care of yours Kankuro."

The redhead gave her a slightly uneasy look, which made Temari roll her eyes.  
"Oh don't give me that. I let _you_ cut _my_ hair and I'm a girl so that means that I really trusted you not to screw up. Do you honestly think that I can't cut hair?" she glared daggers at Gaara, which earned her a glare in return. The kunoichi flinched slightly but got an answer anyway.  
"Fine. I trust you." he muttered through clenched teeth, turning his back to his sister so that she could reach his head.

Kankuro watched the scene, completely amused as Gaara's eyes widened a little in horror every time Temari hacked off some of his hair.  
"Relax Gaara, Temari won't mess up." reassured the puppet-nin. "She used to practice on me, so she's good at it now. I wore a hat that covered my hair so it wasn't that bad when she cut off too much."

The redhead shrugged but the tension faded out of his frame as he eventually just let his sister take care of him. Beside, it felt nice having someone affectionately ruffle his hair instead of having one of his father's hairdressers efficiently finish the task as quickly as possible to avoid being slaughtered. Plus, his sister had a gentle touch, even whilst holding something sharp.  
Gaara realized that, if his mother had survived and loved him, he would have had this wonderful, warm attention from a female much earlier in his life. She would have been the one giving him haircuts, holding him when he was scared and telling him how proud she was of him.  
Now, Temari was the one who had fulfilled that role and was now cutting his hair. Because she was his sister who stood by him through everything, who accepted his past and made him happy.  
And also because Gaara would never trust Kankuro to give him a decent looking haircut, especially since his arm was broken and, judging by how the older boy's hair looked, the jinchuuriki feared that he might end up bald.  
Both of the boys needed their sister just as she needed them and they needed each other.

So this was what it meant to be a family. Gaara nearly smiled.

"Done! Kankuro, how does it look?" grinned Temari, turning the redhead so that the brunet could see her work. Said boy gave her a thumbs up.  
"Finally you manage. Took you long enough. What do you think this is, dolly dress up time?"  
The kunoichi's eyebrow twitched.  
"Well you're the one to talk!"  
"For the last time, puppets are not dolls!" snarled Kankuro.

Gaara made sure to duck away from his sister since she was still holding a kunai. He personally thought that it was stupid of his brother to start an argument with the person who would soon be cutting his hair with a very sharp ninja knife. He hoped that she wouldn't accidentally stab Kankuro in the face in anger.  
Gaara shook his head. He knew that Temari would never hurt their brother. Severely.  
He patted the back of his neck and was glad to know that, indeed, his sister hadn't hacked off all his hair. Gaara didn't care for vanity and cared even less about what people thought about his appearance but, under a scalding sun such as Suna's or this island's, a full head of hair was necessary to avoid burns.

The jinchuuriki cleaned himself, feeling as if a huge weight of pain was washed off of him in the process. Kankuro had regained his memory. He was with his two siblings on this island. They were no longer judged by society and could be whoever they wanted to be. They were no longer weapons, burdens or rejects. They were simply young survivors. Responsible children. They could even cry if they felt like it. No one was watching them anymore.  
They were free.  
Yet they were trapped here. If they tried to get off the island, which way would they go? They had no choice but to move on with their lives. Stay here until death. Gaara realized that he would never have the opportunity to find out what it was like to be accepted by the village, if that moment would have ever came. He had hope that it might, seeing how much he felt changed. Everything could have been different if he went back to Sunagakure.

But that moment would never come now.  
Gaara watched Temari as she tried to cut off Kankuro's spiky long hair, getting angry when he wouldn't keep still.  
Maybe spending his whole life cut away from the world, stranded onto a small island, would be enough for him. As long as he was with his family. This was the only place he felt at home anyway.  
He had learned to suppress all the bad memories from his former village, to avoid losing his mind and being a danger to his family.  
Gaara glanced across the clearing when something shiny caught his eye. A forehead protector with Suna's symbol engraved in it. It was discarded, tossed to the side, because it was no longer meaningful.  
Living in the present was the most important thing now.  
He had to forget the dunes of sand, the shining moon, the noises of Suna during the day, indicating that the village was full of lively people. Civilization. The desert.  
Somehow, those few good memories were so much harder to suppress that all those horrifying, painful ones.

He looked back at Temari, who had finished with Kankuro's hair and was now sitting on the river bank, sewing up the holes in Kankuro's shirt.  
"After falling off a waterfall you are lucky to still have skin, let alone wearable clothing." muttered the kunoichi. Kankuro was re-bandaging his wounds that were healing rather well for his situation, but his arm was still very much fractured.  
"Well I apologize for being lucky." he rolled his eyes, but winced when he accidentally tugged on his painful arm and ended up hurting his ribs too.  
Gaara frowned and took the bandages from him, fearing that his brother would end up breaking more of his body and started wrapping the white cloth around the older boys arm.

Kankuro's eyes widened in surprised at the redhead's action, but he grinned.  
"Thanks for the help bro. I admit I needed it. I don't know what I would do without you. I'd be dead."  
Gaara nodded and felt more happiness feel his heart. Hearing that he was needed, that his existence was meaningful, even if his brother was probably just trying to be nine, was one of the greatest things that had ever happened to him.

The two boys got out of the river and Kankuro grabbed the small first aid kit out of the torn backpack in the corner of their shelter. He started disinfecting his stitched forehead, being careful not to let the liquid get into his eyes.  
Gaara washed his clothes properly, all while glancing at his siblings every few seconds.

Temari had a dark pink line across her the top of her head and down her arm as a memory of the shipwreck. Kankuro had a wound on his forehead, which would eventually heal and also leave a permanent mark. Gaara checked his own body for physical scars and found none.  
All of his pains were mental and emotional. His wounds were invisible to the naked eye. He knew that they hadn't healed yet, but he could feel the sadness slowly start to fade away and get replaced by hope, his siblings' love and his love for his siblings. His family was now complete, since Kankuro had found his memories, so they could now start again and continue on.  
He didn't know how long it would take for all his wounds to disappear, but he knew that they would always leave permanent scars. The past could never really be erased, but it could be put away for a moment, to leave space for the future.

* * *

"Father! Father look!" chirped the tiny girl running up to him, beaming. She waved a piece of paper in front of his eyes, so he was forced to put down his pen and give her his attention.  
"What is it, Temari? You know not to interrupt me when I'm working." he sighed, running his hand through his hair. The little three and half year old blond pouted slightly, then smiled again, showing him the object in her hands.  
"I'm sorry father... But look at what I drew!" Her toddler face lit up with anticipation, waiting for the Kazekage's reaction. The man frowned at her disobedience but took the item anyway, not having the heart to ruin his daughter's obvious joy.

The picture was colorful and composed mostly of childish squiggles and circles. Looking closer, he realized that they were supposed to represent his family. The tallest stick man with a too huge triangular hat was him. The little yellow person with a abnormally large smile and that holding his hand was supposed to be Temari. He presumed that the smaller blob with brown scribbles on top of it was Kankuro. Then, there was another larger shape with yellow hair and a big circle where it's stomach area was. That must be Karura.

"It's very nice Temari." said the man, smiling slightly at his daughter. The girl crawled onto his lap and pointed to the drawing of her mother's big stomach.  
"You see? I drew my other baby brother or sister too! Because he's also part of the family!" she stated proudly.  
The Kazekage ruffled the top of his oldest child's head.  
"OK. It was smart of you to remember that." he complimented, because it was his job as a father to make his sure that his children were happy. At least that's what his wife told him.

"Do you like it father?" Temari widened her eyes and smile until the man was almost scared that her face might break.  
"Yes, very much." he continued. "Now, go show it to your mother or uncle, OK? I have to work."  
The little girl shook her little blond head quickly.  
"I made it for _you_! You have to keep it!" She stood up on her father's lap, seemed to hesitate for a moment then gave him a short kiss on the cheek. The child then jumped to the floor and ran out of the door. "I'll go do some training! Love you daddy!"

The Kazekage stared after his kid for a few seconds.  
Then, he stood up sighing and placed the drawing at the bottom of his paper drawer. He couldn't keep a smile from creeping back onto his face as he continued with his Kazekage's duties, no matter how hard he tried to suppress it.  
He had such a cute daughter.

* * *

The Kazekage silently watched Temari as she cut through a tree using her fan's wind chakra. He occasionally made sure that his children were behaving well in class and were not dishonoring him by sneaking into their training sessions, hiding his presence and observing them from the shadow of a tree. Though he felt that his daughter was still far too caring and kindhearted, she was ruthless and determined to do things right, even at the age of seven.

"Good. Take a forty minute lunch break, then we will continue." announced the sensei, leaving his dozen of students in the training grounds and entering a nearby building, probably to get a cup of coffee and something to eat.  
All of the children ranging from the age of six to ten sat down in small groups of friends, opened their lunch boxes and started to chat away their free time.

The Kazekage decided to listen in on his daughter's conversation out of curiosity.  
"Temari-sama! You were so great! You made the exercise look so easy even if it was really hard!" whined one of the blond's friends.  
"You just have to focus on the shape of your chakra, to make sure it's sharp. Imagine it being a blade." instructed the Kazekage's daughter, taking a bite from her sandwich.  
"But it's still so difficult!" sighed another one of her friends. "If you keep getting better so fast, you'll be a professional in no time! You'll be such a great kunoichi!"  
"Thank you." replied Temari, smirking proudly at the comment, though she tried to stay cool.

"Yeah! When you're grown up, I bet that you'll find a strong, smart and handsome man to marry!" squealed another little girl.  
Temari shrugged and frowned, as if she was trying to figure something out. Then, she huffed and nodded.  
"That sounds like a description of my father. Well, I guess I do want to marry a man like that when I grow up." she said seriously.  
Then, the group of girls continued giggling about what they wanted their future husbands to be like.

Standing behind his tree, the corners of the Kazekage's lips twitched up, even as he rolled his eyes.  
"Hm, she's still too much like a child. She won't be of any use if she goes on like this." he huffed, disappointed, but he couldn't help a warm feeling from secretly bubbling in his heart.  
He had such a sweet daughter.

* * *

"No... Karura... No..." moaned the Kazekage, scraping his nails along the surface of his table. He was jolted out of his nightmare by the sound of the door opening. He saw a woman with blond hair standing at the door. Karura? No, the presence was too strong to be his late wife's.  
"Kazekage-sama? May I come in?" asked Temari, nudging the door further open with her foot.  
"Yes." he answered, straightening his papers since he had fallen asleep on his desk. "What?"

The fourteen year old girl entered the room carrying a tray.  
"I heard that you were working late so I asked the cook to make you some coffee." she replied monotonously, placing the cup on her father's desk.  
The Kazekage was taken aback, since his daughter rarely spoke to him anymore, let alone brought him drinks. He nodded his thanks, then she left.

At that moment, the man wondered what had happened to the relationship he used to have with his child when she was a little girl. Now, all exchanges they made were out of necessity when handing out missions, or polite greetings. The Kazegake admitted to himself that it was probably his fault for neglecting her, her improvement as a shinobi, her growth, in favor of trying to murder his youngest son.  
But that gesture...  
It was something her mother would do whenever he had to work late.

Temari's soft, sweet side was Karura all over... But she usually was tough, cold and vicious, so unlike her mother. Thank goodness for that, because being too frail and gentle would always lead to an early death.  
Still... His daughter had grown into a strong, beautiful woman.  
The Kazekage took a sip from his coffee and made a face when the drink burned his tongue.

* * *

"Ah..." The Kazekage groaned, opening his eyes. Why did his mouth hurt? Coffee? No, wait, he bit his own tongue in his sleep. Suddenly snapping out of drowsiness, he sat upright in his chair. "Temari? Temari, are you there?"  
Silence answered him and he knew why. Because his daughter was no longer here. She and her brothers were all gone, disappeared, dead... murdered.  
The man shook his head and stood up slowly. He had eliminated his danger of a son and it was essential for him to get rid of the other two as well... why? He could hardly remember why he did it. As, right, it was because they were the only two people in Suna who would have been furious at him for killing the demon. That was why he had to do it. His village was now safe and that was all that was important.

The Kazekage smirked and looked through his drawers to find another pen he could use, since he had knocked the other one off of the desk in his sleep and he didn't feel like walking over to get it.  
Suddenly, he felt the bottom of the drawer. Instead of feeling like wood, it felt like... paper? He hadn't properly organized his drawers in years. Frowning, he pulled out the misplaced object.

The second he saw it, his eyes widened and he scrunched up the long forgotten drawing of his perfect family. He threw it into the trash angrily, then sat down in his chair to continue his work.  
It seemed as if his dreams, his memories, were constantly haunting him. Of course they would. No one could have done what he did without ending up with a few mental wounds. The Kazekage hoped that they would eventually heal, because waking up a few times per night in cold sweat was starting to get irritating.  
He sighed bitterly.  
His entire family was dead. His village was the only thing left he had to live for. But it was enough for him.

* * *

**I read loads of fanfics where the Kazekage is an evil good guy and there was the manga chapters about him, so I was inspired to give him some humanity. No worries, he will be thinking about Kankuro and Gaara too. One child at a time.  
Hope you guys liked this! This chapter is long, so I hope that it makes up for the lateness! Who ships BakiRei?  
Love and body butter (*shrug),  
XOXO ~~~ HimekoUchia (15 years old in two weeks. Exams in three weeks. Yay, joy, sarcasm)**


	18. Irreplaceable

**Hola! Happy Easter people! Long wait once again, I know. I guess most of you would be used to it by now.  
I got positive feedback from the 'nice Kazekage' scene... I so I can put more in!  
Thanks for the reviews!  
Last time... The Sand Sibs cleaned up and decided to start new. Baki, Reina, Yuudai and two other people are trying to find the island. Kazekage is angsty.  
Not going to bother you with a long author's note! Read on!**

* * *

"The days seem to pass quicker now." hummed Kankuro, lying on his bed and yawning.  
"Yeah... It's almost as if we have gotten used to living here and have adapted." murmured Temari, savoring the silent night, especially since the night before it was pouring rain.  
"We have done more than get used to it. We have accepted it." added Gaara, who had moved his bed closer to the doorway so that he could sit comfortably whilst looking out into the night.

"Mhm... We... We have totally..." mumbled his brother's voice, before it trailed off into a snort, then deep breathing.  
"Geez, he goes out fast. It's freaky." chuckled the kunoichi. "G'night Gaara."  
"Goodnight." answered the jinchuuriki, not taking his eyes off the stars.

A few minutes later, he turned around and noticed that his sister had fallen asleep as well.  
"Hm. Hypocrite." he huffed, his eyes softening a little at the peaceful sight. He faced the night again.

It was cold at night.  
That afternoon, he and his siblings had returned to the shipwreck to find more items to facilitate their survival on the island. They recuperated ripped drapes and sheets and worked the rest of the day sewing.  
This was how Gaara was able to wrap himself in his blanket to keep warm. He sighed contently.

This really wasn't too bad. If they minded their safety, health, hunger and mental states, they could live longer on their island than back in the village. Especially him, since his pathetic excuse of a father tried to assassinate him multiple times. For something that wasn't even his own fault. He had never asked to be a demon. A monster. Hated and despised.  
If his father had given him the choice, he would have given up this incredible power for love. The village's love. His siblings' love. His uncle's love. His father's love. His mother's life.

**Che, you're still better off with me. Love didn't save your ass when daddy tried to get rid of you, I did.**

Shukaku laughed, enjoying every moment that his vessel was in emotional pain.  
Though Gaara's mind was in peace, his heart was still missing something.  
"I know, but it might have never happened to begin with if you weren't here..." mentally snapped the jinchuuriki back at his demon.

He couldn't understand why his father did this to them. He knew that the Kazekage hadn't expected him to lose control of Shukaku. But the demon... the demon was so strong. He had tried so, so hard to control it so that he could see some sort of approval, some sort of pride in that man's eyes.  
But he was a failure. He couldn't control it. And his father would look at him with disgust, hate, disappointment.  
Gaara clenched his fists, hate, anger and heartbreak filling him.  
The first assassination attempt. The worst moment in his life. He had been betrayed by everyone. Yashamaru. His father. The village. The day he had changed.  
When his father would gaze coldly at him, he would just gaze back. He would never show his pain, his absolute terror, knowing that the Kazekage... His father... wanted him death.  
The Kazekage could have taken his life and Gaara knew it. But for some reason, he would never face him himself. It was always someone else, another shinobi, who would die. That Gaara would kill.

Pathetic. Cowardly. Confusing.  
The redhead had never hated a person as much as he hated his father.  
He used to love him... He used to love him so much...  
But that love just broke his heart. Again. And again. And again.

**You got that right. Now we're back at square zero. Wouldn't taking revenge on his flesh and blood be delicious? They're right behind you, sleeping. They won't even feel a thing.**

Revenge would be exquisite. Wait, no... Gaara shook his head. Revenge wouldn't make him feel better. And for nothing in this world would he hurt his family.  
Sucking in a long, shaky breath, the jinchuuriki glanced at his siblings to calm himself.  
He had slowly started to control the beast, but it was only recently that he had truly gained the upper hand over the demon by healing his wounds of the heart and becoming stronger. With his siblings' love.  
He frowned when he remembered the incident a few days after their arrival on the island. He had lost control, Shukaku had taken over and nearly killed Kankuro and Temari.

Maybe his father was right. Maybe he was a failure. Maybe he had deserved the assassinations, the loneliness, the hate.  
But he tried. He would do anything, anything he could to prove that he was no longer that monster his Kazekage had created. He also wished that he could prove it to Suna as well, but that would never happen now.  
He would keep his family safe, no matter what.

Gaara bit his tongue when he was suddenly confronted with a psychological torment. He suddenly understood his father, if only a tiny, little bit.  
What if... _he_ turned crazy and tried killing his siblings? The idea seemed improbable to him, but he knew that it was always possible since it had nearly happened before.  
What would he expect Kankuro and Temari do to protect each other? They might be strong enough to overpower him together and then... what? What if he was truly lost and could no longer be mended? Would they... dispose of him as a threat?  
He wouldn't blame them if they did and he wanted them to be safe, but the old, selfish part of him was terrified by that idea. He didn't want to die. To have his existence be erased and forgotten. He wanted to be alive. It was the one thing his father never managed to take away from him.

And what would _he_ do if one of his siblings lost their mind and tried to kill them? Would he try to fix them? Tie them up and keep them away? Try to _kill_ them to keep the other sibling and himself safe?  
No... Yes? No... He could never forgive himself.  
But what if they killed the other sibling? Someone he cared about killing some else he cared about?  
Gaara tried imagining the scenarios with Kankuro and Temari... but he could never arrive at the end of it. Just thinking about it horrified him.

If this was how the Kazekage had felt when he had to send people to assassinate him, then he could feel a little sympathy for the man.  
However, he knew that the decision was easier for the Kazekage to make because he hated him, but he loved the village.  
Since the second he was born, he had been disposable to his father. His life never mattered. His siblings had been dumped on other senseis just like he had been dumped on Yashamaru.  
Burdens.  
That was all they ever were to the people of Suna.

* * *

Baki blinked open his eyes.  
"Your shift." muttered Yuudai, giving him a few seconds to sit up properly before handing him the oars.  
Reina was also woken up and she joined her former traveling partner in rowing. The chuunin, who was also on the previous shift, handed the kunoichi back her map and lied down to sleep.

"It's so dark... how can you be sure we're going the right way?" whispered Baki, squinting his eyes.  
Reina flashed at light at him, then at the compass on her lap.  
"We're going the right way, quit worrying..." she grumbled, still sleepy.  
"I truly hope I find my students. But what if they didn't survive? I don't..." The man was cut off by his teammate's withering look. "Sorry... I shouldn't be acting like this."  
"You shouldn't." replied the woman curtly. "But I understand how you feel. I do think that you should calm yourself, though. I'm not trying to get your hopes up, because we will probably all be disappointed, but, I have to say, if any people survived that shipwreck, it would be your students. They're survivors, all of them."  
"Your brother was a strong shinobi too. I knew him. Powerful. Loyal." added Baki, still a little asleep.  
Reina grinned humorlessly.  
"Unfortunately that was his downfall, eh? He was reckless and listened to every word Kazekage-sama said. I will do my best to find him. He was my family. And, unlike our boss, family will always mean something to me."

* * *

He quickly wiped away the tear that managed to leak down his face.  
"Sand in my eye..." he muttered. To himself, since he was alone in his living room, sitting on the couch.  
He definitely wasn't crying. Not only was he a ninja, he was Kazekage. He needed to be strong and calm, no matter what happened.  
His lips started to tremble so he slapped his hand across his mouth as he looked down at the photograph of his wife again.  
It could be so hard sometimes.

"Daddy? You 'kay? What ya doing?" suddenly came a quiet voice from the corridor. The Kazekage hastily rubbed his eyes and took a deep breath.  
"I'm fine, Kankuro. I'm reading a book. Go back to bed." he replied firmly.  
He sighed in relief when he heard his two year old son's soft footsteps fading. He couldn't show any weakness in front of Temari or Kankuro, especially since their mother died giving birth to their brother no less than two weeks ago. They all missed her, but they all hid it.

He put the photograph down and tried to focus on his reading. A few seconds later, however, a tiny brunet came toddling back into the living room holding a tissue.  
"Don't cwy daddy..." he chirped, awkwardly dabbing his father's face.  
The Kazekage couldn't help another wave of pain and sadness from hitting him. His child was so young... Why did Karura have to die?  
It was his fault for putting that demon in Gaara. But he never thought that she would die.

Dead. Gone forever. His wife. His Karura.

The man grabbed his son's hand and gently pulled it away from his face. He then picked the tiny child up and placed him on his lap. He wrapped his arms around his son's body and buried his face in the boy's spiky brown hair. He let a few more tears escape his eyes before straightening his back.  
"How are you feeling, Kankuro?" asked the Kazekage.  
"I miss mommy..." mumbled the child, before spontaneously bursting into tears and shoving his face into his father's chest. "DADDY! Weh is mommy?"

The man wasn't too sure how to react. He was never the best at showing affection. Maybe he could ask Karura for some advice...  
Oh.  
He slowly rocked the boy, holding him closer.  
"Everything will be OK..." he lied. "Now, go back to bed."  
Kankuro nodded, hiccuped a few times, before climbing off his father's lap. The toddler picked up the forgotten tissue and handed it back to his parent.  
"Keep i'." he said softly, shuffling back to his room.

The Kazekage sighed and continued reading his book.  
He had such a kind son.

* * *

This was another one of his routine spying sessions, to make sure that his children weren't dishonoring him.  
He watched as Kankuro sparred with one of his classmates and groaned in frustration when his son ended up getting kicked in the face.  
The five year old boy spat out a mouthful of blood and frowned angrily.

"Are you OK, Kankuro-sama?" asked the sensei, worrying about his boss's son's well-being.  
"I'm fine. I'm better at puppet ninjutsu than taijutsu." replied the young brunet, standing up hastily and patting the dust off of his pants. "But I'll train and get much better in taijutsu so that I can be strong like my father one day!"  
"Sure. Now, go back to sparring." said the teacher nodding towards Kankuro's waiting opponent.

The Kazekage shook his head in disappointment.  
Kankuro might be a young puppet master genius, but he wasn't as good as his sister in taijutsu. Saying that he wanted to be like him when he grew up... The Kazekage nearly rolled his eyes.  
It was ridiculous. There is no point trying to be as strong as anyone: the important part was surpassing everyone. Plus, the silly way Kankuro said it, with seriousness and idolization...  
It was weak. Stupid. Adorable.

* * *

"From now on, you are a genin of Suna and a member of our village's Puppet corps. You got the best score in the exam." says the sensei, nodding in approval.  
The twelve year old Kankuro smirked, closing one eye.  
"I've been waiting years for this! I can now do something for the village! Temari will have to stop rubbing in the fact that she goes on missions now! And if we go on a mission together, I would be able to protect her from danger!"  
The sensei snorted, smiling slightly.  
"I went on a mission with Temari-sama and there is no doubt that she far less reckless than you. You should watch out."

Kankuro glared.  
"Well, fine! Maybe my sister is more experienced than me, but I'm strong enough to save her if I had to! I'll complete any mission and people would have to acknowledge Sunagakure as having the best ninja."  
The sensei dropped his smile and frowned.  
"Remember, Kankuro-sama, that the mission must always come first, not the life of fellow shinobi."  
The puppet-nin nodded but shifted uncomfortably.  
"I know. But if my sister-..."  
"Temari-sama can take care of herself. She graduated top of her class as well."  
"Yeah, yeah I know. She only told me a billion times." huffed the brunet, sticking out his purple bottom lip.

Only when witnessing his child's immaturity, bravery and protectiveness does the Kazekage realize how ridiculously young his soldiers were. And how amazingly fast kids grew.

So fast.

Too fast.

He missed almost all of it.

But they still had their whole lives ahead of them.

Until he killed them.

* * *

The Kazekage jolted upright in his chair and gasped. It took him only a few seconds to realize that he had fallen asleep in his office again.  
Another one of those nightmares.  
Why wouldn't they leave him alone?

When the man brought his hand up to scratched his face, he noticed all the blood on his fingers, the sudden burning pain and the red claw marks on his desk.  
He widened his eyes in disgust. In his sleep, he had scratched his table until his nails had started to bleed. How pathetic.  
Sighing, he stood up, walked across the room and retrieved his first aid kit. She checked his fingers for wood shards and bandaged his wounds.  
He then decided to leave his work for the next day and go to sleep in his bed. It wasn't as if he could sign anymore paper with painful fingers and all this blood on his hands.

His own childrens' blood.

The Kazekage shut his bedroom door behind him before letting the memories of his dream flow back into his head.  
Kankuro would have made such a good chunin one day. Maybe even jonin.  
He looked like him... He would have made such a handsome grown mad. Probably would have found a strong, pretty wife and have a bunch of talented little babies.  
And those future little shinobi would look just like their father.  
And maybe even their grandfather.

The man groaned, letting his head fall into his hands.  
He had always hated having too many emotions, especially as a Kazekage. But he was still a human being after all, so it couldn't be helped.  
He could not lie to himself forever.

Shinobi were weapons.  
But still people.  
They all have feelings.  
A chance to have a future.  
They all lived.  
Many died.  
Many were murdered.  
It was for the best.  
To keep his village safe.  
It was necessary.  
It had to be done.  
He shouldn't think about it.  
But his children...

His children...

Irreplaceable. Of course, they were his own flesh and blood. Created out of love between his late wife and himself.  
Also because he wanted a powerful jinchuurki for Shukaku so that his village would rise out of poverty and be feared once again.

The man lied down on his bed. This was life. He had no choice and no regret. He had done his duty yet his conscience was punishing him.  
He closed his eyes, knowing that the nightmares were going to return. He didn't care and he was going to deal with it. Hopefully, he would hold out against the possible chance of insanity. He could take it slowly... One night at the time.  
Only his entire lifetime left to go.

* * *

"Guys, I had this weird-ass dream..." Temari glared when he two boys visibly groaned. "No... No... Listen, this one was good! It was our father's birthday and there was this huge, crazy party... Streamers, disco balls, purple lights, strippers and shit. In the middle of a stage was a gigantic glow-in-the-dark pink cake. He went to cut the cake and it exploded in his face! Hah. Then... OK, this part is the weirdest part... Baki-sensei came out of the cake. He bitch slapped our dad."

Kankuro and Gaara stared at their sister with worried eyes.  
"Um... Baki-sensei wasn't... naked, was he?" asked the puppet-nin, fearing the worst.  
Temari shivered.  
"No, thank god, I'm not that weird. He was wearing cat eyes though."  
"Don't you mean cat ears?" frowned the redhead, trying to refrain from facepalming.  
"Nope, cat eyes. Yellow slitted contacts. It was creepy. He said 'I'm your worst nightmare!' to dad and then he high-fived us. Oh, yeah, we were at the party for some reason."

Gaara looked down at his breakfast in terror.  
"Did you poison this?" he asked cooly, eyes narrowing in suspicion. It did taste a little funky.  
"No! I just get strange dreams often... They get worse right before I get my..." The kunoichi suddenly dropped her head in her hands. "Nooooo! I forgot about that!"  
Her two brothers looked at each other in confusion.  
"What?" they both asked, not sure whether to panic or not.  
Their sister looked at the two boys in horror then pulled at her short blonde hair.  
"Kill me now..." she grumbled. "And I'm stuck with two boys too..."

Kankuro and Gaara looked at each other again and silently decided to not ask any questions. It must be a girl thing they did not want to get involved in. Maybe just be emotionally supportive.  
"Whatever is wrong, I'm sure it will be OK." tried the redhead.  
"We're here for you sis." added the puppet-nin.  
Temari glared, confusing her brothers as to why she had changed mood so quickly.  
"Thanks, but don't even try." she deadpanned.

Suddenly, Gaara stood up, his eyes wide.  
Kankuro and Temari both flinched.  
"Gaara? What is it?" asked the kunoichi, standing up. She hoped that it wasn't something to do with Shukaku.  
The redhead motioned for his siblings to follow him and he started to walk out of the clearing.  
"I can sense people coming. By sea. Five of them."

At this, the trio started sprinting through the trees, pushing chakra through their legs. It was an exhilarating feeling, one that they had almost forgotten. They were used to taking their time, walking everywhere because they thought that they were going to live the rest of their days on this island.  
But now things could be different.

Right before emerging on the beach, Gaara stopped.  
"We shouldn't reveal ourselves right away, in case they want trouble." he said.  
"Right..." answered Kankuro, as they hid behind trees, keeping their eyes fixed on the ocean.  
Sure enough, a boat was approaching. It was close enough for Gaara to be able to sense the number of passengers, but too far for the three shinobi to identify them.

After fifteen long minutes, the boat was almost at the shore and the jinchuuriki let out a short, sharp breath.  
"The boat is from Sunagakure. One of them is Baki-sensei." he hissed, his fingers digging into the bark of the tree he was pressed up against.  
His brother and sister both gasped in shock.  
"Baki-sensei? What would he be doing here?" whispered Temari, chewing on her bottom lip. She didn't know how to feel, so she chose 'calm' to be plastered on her face until she could figure it out. Just like when she was back in Suna.  
There was a moment of silence between them until Kankuro broke it.  
"Do you think that... The village sent people to find the shipwreck? Maybe Baki-sensei joined..." he trailed off.  
"... to find us?" suggested Gaara, though the words sounded ridiculous to him. Who would want to find them? Especially him, Sabaku no Gaara, demon, murderer, failure, brat... All the memories returned. The boy nearly buried himself under the list of things people used to call him, and would have suffocated under the weight if Temari hadn't placed a hand on his arm.  
"Maybe... But we should still be careful. You never know."

They hid their chakra signatures and watched as the rowboat crashed onto the sand, as the five shinobi jumped out of it and pulled it out of the ocean.  
The newcomers then walked up the beach, unknowingly getting closer to the three hidden teenagers.  
"Is this the place, Reina?" asked Yuudai, looking around for sign of life.  
"Yes. This is it." answered the woman, folding her map and tucking it away. "Survivors should be here."

Kankuro frowned.  
"So they are looking for people who were on the ship..." he murmured, a fake grin plastered on his face. "Man, they won't be happy if they find out that we were the only ones to have survived. Having us gone was probably the only relief they got out of that damn shipwreck in the first place."  
"Maybe... we shouldn't disappoint them. If they don't want to find us, we could just avoid them until they leave. Then everything will back to normal." suggested Gaara.  
His two siblings hesitated, then both nodded. No matter how much they yearned to see civilization again, nothing was worth those loathing looks, the insults when people thought they weren't listening and accepting the fact that absolutely no one wanted them.

Having these thoughts in their minds made what happened next all the more astounding for them.  
"My students... I know them. I know that, if they were here, Kankuro, Temari and Gaara would have known we were coming quite some time ago. They would be watching us now. They wouldn't show themselves because they would be suspicious, especially Gaara. That is... if they are even here." announced Baki, his face falling for a second before he recomposed himself.

The siblings were surprised when they realized how well they sensei actually knew them.  
Baki had always cared.  
Baki was here for_ them_.  
Somebody wanted them to be alive.  
They were important.  
They were loved.

Gaara felt happiness creep into his heart. He was included. This was the first time any adult in his life admitted to caring about him. Well, except for Yashamaru, but that had all been a filthy lie.  
This was taking quite some time for the trio to process so they decided to improvise, which was inadvisable for any shinobi, but they had learned that sometimes, making rapid, crazy decisions could be a great thing. Like when Kankuro decided to save Gaara from the shipwreck. Or when Kankuro and Temari fought Shukaku. When Temari stopped Kankuro from choking Gaara when he only remembered part of his past.  
They exchanged another look and, with a nod from Temari, they stepped out onto the beach.

"You still seem to remember quite a lot about the way we operate, sensei." smirked Kankuro, closing one eye. They were back in shinobi mode now. "And here we thought that you forgot all about us."

The man spun around quickly and thought that he was hallucinating when he saw his three students standing there, alive.  
They looked so different, older, battered up, messy, scarred, burned by the sun, patchwork clothes, roughly hacked off hair and a stern, yet exhausted look in their eyes. The worst off was Kankuro, with an arm in a sling and bandages across his forehead and body. Then Temari with dark scars across her arm and the top of her face. Well, the exception was Gaara who, if he wasn't wearing torn clothes, looked like a spotlessly clean kid, as usual. Something about his eyes, the way he was looking at him, was different.  
It was them.  
Right there.  
Looking at him.  
Alive.  
Together.  
His students.

"K-Kankuro..." choked Baki, taking a step towards them. "Temari... G-Gaara... It's you... You're alive..."  
The three teens inspected everyone's reaction. The four other passengers from the small boat didn't look angry when they saw the three most fears youngsters in Suna. Just slightly scared when they saw Gaara. However, the only woman in the group was smiling.  
Baki reached out and shakily touched the puppet-nin on the shoulder, feeling skin under his fingers.  
"We're real." said Gaara blankly.

There was a silence when the people heard the redhead's voice. It was so familiar to them, and it was usually associated with horror and nightmares.  
Sensing the tense mood Gaara mentally flinched. Fear. Hate. It was still the same.  
Temari read the look in her youngest brother's eyes and pulled him towards possessively her before turning towards the newcomers.  
"I welcome you all to our wonderful vacation island." she huffed sarcastically. "Ne, Baki-sensei, long time no see!"

Her gaze lost its aggressiveness when her teacher turned to look at her with wide, shiny eyes. She put a hand on his arm.  
"Baki-sensei, we're so happy to see you..." she said, smiling softly.  
"You've... you all look so different..." he replied, trying to keep himself from crying.  
The siblings exchanged a knowing glance.  
"We feel different. We've been stuck here for quite some time and, well, stuff happened. It's a long story." grinned Kankuro. "Might share it another time."  
Baki didn't know if was appropriate to grab his students in a bone crushing hug but he decided against it when taking in account their state.

The jonin turned towards Gaara.  
"Glad to see you, Gaara. How are you feeling?" he asked, sounding genuinely concerned about the redhead's well being. The jinchuuriki tightened his jaw, overwhelmed by how amazing it felt to have someone he thought hated him actually care about him.  
He opened his mouth to reply.  
"..." Moved. Happy. Confused. Upset. Relieved. Loved. "... Better."  
He crossed his arms and forced himself to meet Baki's gaze. The man looked taken aback, not expecting the absence of bloodlust, hate and defiance in his student's eyes. He looked so pure, innocent and young like this. It made him smile.  
"You look... better." he admitted, suddenly having an urge to ruffle the boy's hair whilst saying 'I'm happy to see you kid. I missed you'. He didn't, because Gaara wasn't his child and because he wasn't sure if he would escape a sand coffin if he did that.

"So... Do you guys know why we ended up on this island? Did you come to find the shipwreck?" questioned Kankuro, his voice cutting through the joyful atmosphere like a poisoned kunai.  
Baki frowned.  
"The story of why you ended up here... isn't a nice one. I'll explain it to you later. And yes, we are looking for the shipwreck." He turned to face his traveling companions. "Ah, well, you probably know them, but let me introduce you..."  
He gestured to the woman with long brown hair then to a man who looked a lot like her.  
"This is Reina-san, and her brother Yuudai-san." He then nodded towards the youngest member of his team. His short black hair and dark eyes filled with innocence reminded Gaara of someone... "This is Atsushi-san."  
Lastly, Baki showed the jonin with cropped blond hair.  
"Toshia-san. Their family members were on the ship."

None of them dared to ask the infamous three about their family. Then, remembering all the stories Baki told her about his students, about their humanity, and seeing them right now in front of her, looking tough but not as terrifying as she had expected, Reina stepped forward.  
"Is our brother... did our brother?" tried Reina. "He was... a masked man. Tall."  
Kankuro and Gaara exchanged a glance. This woman was related to the guy that Gaara had mashed to death on the ship. The redhead wasn't too sure how to explain this.  
"He died. I... killed him." admitted Gaara, deciding that the man's family deserved to know the truth.  
Reina's eyes widened in horror and Yuudai took a step forward.  
"WHAT? You... I knew it! I knew that it was your fault!" He spat, trying to contain his fury.  
Temari and Kankuro stepped in front of their brother protectively.  
"It wasn't. Your brother was trying to kill a little girl. Gaara was saving her life." The puppet-nin half lied, knowing that, at that time, Gaara had no intention of helping that child.

"How did that girl look?" cut in Atsushi. "How old was she?"  
The redhead took a long look at the man and realized where he had seen his features before.  
"She looked like you. About six years old. Your sister?" tried Gaara. The chunin nodded, his eyes showing his question. Did she...? "She didn't survive the shipwreck."  
His face fell. He tilted his head forward to let his bangs cover his eyes and he let out a soft grunt.  
He then exchanged an uncomfortable gaze with Yuudai and Reina, knowing that his sister had partly caused their brother's death. There really wasn't much to say anymore. It was too late.

"My... My wife? Did she..." Toshia was cut off my Gaara's rough voice.  
"We are the only ones who survived."

There a long silence as reality dawned on the newcomers.  
Everyone.  
Dead.  
Except for the Kazekage's three children.  
Who he tried to get rid of in the first place.  
It was so ironic it wasn't even funny.

Looking at the older boy's sad, disappointed face,Yuudai's angry face, his sister's heartbroken look and at Toshia's gut wrenching pained expression, the jinchuuriki suddenly understood exactly how they felt. Family, loved ones... were irreplaceable. He glanced at his siblings, imagining how it would feel to lose them.  
Unbearable.  
He had taken so many lives before. He now realized that he could have killed someone's family. He had killed the brother of the two jonins in front of him and had let the sister of the chuunin die.  
He looked at the four shinobi in the eyes, then spoke the last words that anybody expected him to utter.  
"I'm sorry."

* * *

**Team Baki reunion. Gaara being a good sport. About time, eh? Plus, Temari having a little human, lady moment (she's PMSing for those who didn't get it). Just because in anime, random realistic moments are never mentioned. If she is a teenage girl, it's only natural.  
Soooooo... What did do you think? Did you enjoy the chapter? Let me know!  
Until next time, my dearest readers!  
Happy Easter once again!  
XOXO ~~~ HimekoUchia (3:00 am... not a good time to be updating)**


	19. A Shinobi's Humanity

**OMG I'm alive!  
I'm so sorry for the massive delay. I just started my holidays after a month of frantic revisions and exams, so I had trouble focusing on these slightly deeper and more emotional fics because of the stress (crack Hetalia stories are much easier to pump out). I had actually written almost everything, but I had trouble ending the chapter and making the scenes interesting.  
So last time, the runaway search party members including Baki arrive on the island and meet the sand sibs. They are all upset at their losses, and Gaara surprised everyone by apologizing.  
I reworked a few things, so here is the chapter! I don't own anything! Enjoy!**

* * *

"I'm sorry."

Silence reigned across the beach as everyone, including his siblings, started bug eyed at Gaara.  
The redhead shifted uncomfortably under their gazes. His old urge of using a Sand Coffin on people who made eye contact with him returned for a second, before he squished it away. At least this wasn't as bad as hateful looks. Plus, this was the first step towards being forgiven so he was going to deal with any negative feelings he had.

Then, his siblings relaxed and smiled. Their respect, love and pride for their brother grew even more.  
Reina was the next to snap out of her shock. She searched for the right words to express her feelings. She didn't particularly like the three children and Gaara's intense look was extremely intimidating but, now that she could see them up close, she could see that they truly weren't the monsters that she had imagined them to be.  
"Please, don't apologize for surviving." she clasped her hands in front of her chest. "You three have every right to live."  
"Most people don't think so." snorted Kankuro, closing an eye.  
"But... I killed your brother." Gaara was confused. He would not have been that nice if he had been in her position. "You should hate me. You couldn't possibly... forgive that..."  
Reina took a deep breath.  
"I can't. Even if he did bad things, my brother is still my brother so I couldn't possibly forgive the person who killed him so easily." she answered honestly, hoping that she wouldn't be murdered for this. Baki might be able to stop Gaara if he attacked. "But... I understand why you did it. And I don't hate you because..." She sneaked a glance at Baki, then looked at the boy again. "... I really don't know you."

Gaara took a step back in surprise. Who was this woman? How could she not hate him?  
The jinchuuriki was so accustomed to the hate that even the idea of not being hated by everyone seemed impossible to him. If this woman didn't hate him even after what he did to her...  
Maybe the rest of Suna could one day accept him too.

"Tch, yeah." added Yuudai. Not really knowing how to be tactful or sweet, he pointed to Baki. "Plus, this guy has been entertaining all of the troops for the past few days with stories of your missions together. Nice to know that there will be more stories coming now that you three are back."  
The siblings mentally groaned. Temari hoped that her sensei hadn't shared the more embarrassing details of some of their little fails. Like that one mission where they had ditched a passed out Kankuro in a closet and forgot about him.

"Hm..." Everyone turned to look at the chuunin, Atsushi. "So everyone died apart from you three?"  
"Yes." nodded Temari.  
Instead of being angry like Gaara expected him to, he looked up with a passive look on his face.  
"At least we can now be certain of their fates. Where are all the corpses?"

"Follow me." answered Gaara, starting to walk along the beach.  
Everybody exchanged glances before following the boy. After quite some time, Kankuro huffed.  
"Yeah, I remember this place..."

Toshio suddenly stopped.  
"I don't want to see my wife's rotting body." he said through clenched teeth, his eyes watering for a second before he blinked back his emotions. A shinobi wasn't supposed to cry, even at the death of a most precious loved one. Somehow, despite the years of training he had had, a few tears still managed to escape. The fact that doing this was seen as weak didn't make the pain go away.  
"Don't worry about that." sighed Temari, her voice softening with sympathy. "We made sure that each citizen of Suna was treated with respect, even in their death."

They walked around the bend and arrive at the graveyard. Baki and the rest of the crew widened their eyes at the sight of the large mounds of sand, lines up across the beach.  
"Are these... individual graves?" asked Reina, taking a small step.  
"Yes. Everyone has their own. They are all here." answered Gaara.

There was a few minutes of mournful silence, before they all turned away and walked back from where they came from.  
The three siblings had been surprised by the lack of agonized sobbing from the ninjas. It was amazing how accustomed they had become to the human freedom of expressing emotion that shinobi lacked. Right now, even they had returned to that numb, focused feeling.

Temari thought back at all the times her tears had been spilled during her time with her family. If she had done the same in Suna, she would have been ashamed of herself. Ninja, especially from their village, were supposed to have hearts of stone.  
She nearly chuckled to herself. Who were they all kidding? No human being was capable of truly eliminating emotion. They just put up with this whole charade for honor, pride and to look badass in battle.

They had kept in all their anger, feelings of abandonment and love bottled in for their whole lives, it had all overflowed when they had shipwrecked, when they believed that they would never be judged or be expected to keep up a front again. All their pain and tears that they hid away had surfaced... They had nothing to hide from each other.  
But now, they felt that hand of stone around their hearts again. Their faces calm and composed, no matter how they felt.  
The siblings had never realized to what extent 'emotional training' were really just acting classes.

Somehow, a part of this island would always remain with them. Reminding them about the lessons they had learned about family, love and Gaara. They had always absorbed experience and put it to good use.  
So, when they watched the island fade into the horizon as they sailed away, the siblings said goodbye to the shelter they had spent days building, that river, those strange creatures, the waterfall and left the Island of Graves behind. They exchanged one last, knowing look before clearing their faces.  
They were shinobi once more.

* * *

"... what we mean to say is that our dearest _Kazekage-sama_, aka daddy, sunk that ship on purpose so that he could eliminate Gaara-san. To him, nothing else mattered apart from that. He even made it so that the search squads would never find the shipwreck. Thankfully for you, we don't follow orders." finally snapped Yuudai, annoyed at the other shinobis' attempts at kindness. It didn't make the truth any less horrible, so might as well rip off the bandage quickly. He didn't particularly care about the Kazekage's three spawns' pain either. They had all suffered. However, e did feel a tiny bit bad when he saw the shocked looked on their faces.

The three siblings had expected something like this, but it didn't stop the sickeningly painful feeling from hitting them, especially Gaara.  
Another assassination attempt? And he was willing to sacrifice Kankuro and Temari too. How pathetic of the man. If he wanted him dead so much, he should have just killed him himself and left other, innocent people out of this.  
And to think that he, the heartless demon of the desert, had almost been willing to maybe, maybe consider trying to end the hateful relationship he shared with his father after realizing how important family was... He huffed in disgust. Sometimes, love really did only bring the pain that came with betrayal.

"He's not our dad." growled Kankuro bitterly, anger overtaking his sadness. "He's our... boss."  
Baki swallowed, not knowing what to say. He instead chose to just silently continue fixing Kankuro's bandages, frowning when he realized that the boy was in a truly terrible shape.  
"Somebody will be pissed when we return..." huffed Temari, feeling the scar on her head. She wished that she could be spotless, like Gaara, instead of sporting all of these cuts and bruises. She wished that she looked fresh and happy, so that she could easily pretend that nothing could hurt her.  
However, taking a single look at Kankuro or the kunoichi, it was quite obvious that they had gone through hell multiple times in their short lives.

Gaara was a different matter. His face was the most composed, though, inside, he hurt so much more than any of these people could imagine.  
Knowing that he would have to face his father again... It terrified him. He didn't want to see that look of hatred and disappointment again. To be looked at like some disgusting, violent pet that he couldn't wait to put down.  
Gaara was sick of being looked at like some circus freak. He wanted to be looked at the way his siblings looked at him. Even to be looked at the way the people in the boat were looking at him, with calm acceptance despite extreme lack of trust, would be better than the look his father gave him.  
Just thinking about it almost made him furious and he felt Shukaku stir. Blinking, the jinchuuriki tried to focus on the conversation the people around him were having.

First, he noticed the strange conversation his sister was having with the only other kunoichi on the boat.  
"Do you happen to have a... you-know-what on you?" whispered Temari.  
"Yes. Oh, are you...?" Reina gave the blond a simpathetic pat on the shoulder.  
"Uhuh. Worst timing ever, I know." grumbled Temari.  
"You should have asked me sooner. We'll have to wait until the men are asleep. We could take one of the night shifts." suggested the brunette.  
"Life saver. Thank you." sighed the other woman, before noticing that Gaara was looking at her, confused. She smiled awkwardly, but gave her a brother a look that clearly told him that he would never find out what the two ladies had been talking about.  
It seemed awfully suspicious to him, but he dropped it because Temari's mood swings worried him.

After a few minutes, his siblings started recounting their stay on the island. Leaving out a few major details, of course. Like the time he nearly murdered them. Or the time that Kankuro had nearly murdered him.  
Those events, they would keep to themselves. Nobody had to know. Nobody would ever understand.

* * *

"What a small, feeble child. I'll always protect you... Gaara!" cried Karura, cupping her hands around her tiny, premature baby. Her mouth was pulled into a happy smile as her eyes started to close.  
"Karura... Karura!" shouted the Kazekage, running his hand along his wife's cheek. "No! Don't leave me..."  
His love slowly blinked one last time and her smile shone with love and heartbreak at the same time.  
"I'm sorry..." she whispered, feeling her life slipping out of her. Her eyes suddenly shot open in hysteria when a medic took her little red headed son away. She started talking faster. "Promise you'll take care of our babies? Give them all the love that I wish I could still give them. You're their father... They need you." She drew in a sharp breath. "Even if I die... I'll always be there... watching... I... I love you..."

The man watched, eyes wide, as his wife stopped moving, her eyes still slightly open and a sad smile on her face.  
"... I love you too." he murmured, though he knew she couldn't hear him anymore. He blinked back his tears. He could cry his heart out in agony later. Not in front of his medics.  
He stood up and combed his fingers through his wife's hair one last time. He closed his eyes and tried to burn this feeling into his memory forever. Her soft hair. The way the skin on her face was always so smooth under his hand. The way her pink lips felt against his.  
He opened his eyes. Her entire face was white now.

He stepped back from the dead body.  
"K-Kazekage-sama? Do you want to hold the boy?" cautiously asked one of the medics. His boss took in a deep breath and was about to refuse, but then he nodded. A tiny bundle was handed to him.  
"He should survive, despite his size. The sealing process was a success." huffed Granny Chiyo tactlessly. The Kazekage turned to look at her face and, suddenly, he had never hated someone in his entire life as much as he hated her. She sealed a bijuu inside of his baby and his wife was dead because of it.  
Then, he remembered. He ordered the demon to be sealed in his son in the first place. He hated himself too.  
"Yes. It was... Could I have a minute?" he asked. All of his medics bowed and stepped outside the hospital room.

When he was alone, the Kazekage looked down at his baby's face for the first time. He was so small he could fit into one of his hands and his red hair was matted with blood...  
Was this really his baby? It was so little and cute looking... How could it be alive? Why did it have to take its mother's life? Was there really a monster inside of him?  
All these questions flew out of his head the instant the boy opened his minuscule, black-ringed eyes.  
Two sea-green orbs filled with all the innocence and beauty in this world met his dark, tired ones. One of the baby's little hands unclenched and gently touched his father's face. He let out a small cry.  
Despite his pain, the Kazekage's lips twitched up.  
"Hi... Gaara..."

The man turned to look at his wife's lifeless figure.  
"I promise. I promise I'll take care of them."

* * *

"Get up." he snapped to the four year old redhead. "You have to control the sand."  
Panting, Gaara stood up.  
"Yes father..."

The duo were in a secluded part of the village, to avoid any 'accidents' during Gaara's training. The child frowned in concentration and tried to raise some sand above his head again. Instead of slowly rizing like he wanted it to, it shot up like a rocket in the air, startling the toddler.  
The Kazekage held back a sigh and mixed his gold dust with the sand to get it back to the ground.  
"You lack control..."

The redhead nodded slowly, his eyes shining with tears.  
"Is that why everyone in the village hates me so much?" asked the child.  
His father ground his teeth together.  
"No. But if you controlled it better, they will like you more." huffed the Kazekage, managing to stomp on the annoying feeling of guilt that filled his heart whenever he saw this look on his son's face.  
Gaara shuffled his feet for a second before looking up at him with a scared look.  
"D-Do _you_ hate me father? Because I can't control it?" whispered the boy.  
"Of course not." responded the man hastily, irritated by his child's worries. He should be more worried about training.

"Oh... Oh..." mumbled Gaara, looking deep in though. "I guess it's OK if everyone else hates me, as long as father doesn't."  
The Kazekage massaged his forehead in frustration. Could this child ever focus?  
"Gaara!" he growled, sounding angrier than he intended to. "We're training! Stop talking to yourself and work on your control!"

"Ah! Yes... I'm s-sorry." gasped Gaara, eyes suddenly filling with tears again.  
How sad did his kid feel anyway?  
The sand automatically reacted to his mood, starting to float dangerously around the clearing.  
"Gaara." snapped the man. "As a shinobi, you have to control your emotions too."  
"A-Ah." gasped the boy, squeezing his eyes shut in concentration until the sand fell to the ground. He cracked open a black-ringed eye. "Did I control it?"

His father huffed.  
"Yes."  
Immediately, the child's face lit up at the tiny complement.  
"So I didn't disappoint you too much this time? Did I do good?" asked Gaara, the desperation in his voice slightly scaring his father. The man couldn't help but feel like a monster when he heard those words.  
"You did better." he assured.

A huge smile broke out on Gaara's face and, before the Kazekage could react, his son latched onto his leg. The Kazekage suddenly felt very embarrassed and was glad that, no matter how babyish his son was, he knew that he would never do this in public. Just as he was about to tell his soldier off for acting like a normal human child, a blond man walked into the clearing.  
"Kazekage-sama... It's time for Gaara-sama's lunch..." he said calmly, raising an amused eyebrow at the sight of his in law trying to shake his kid off his body.

"Yashamaru!" cried out the redhead, smiling even wider. He let go of his father's leg but, at the last minute, he seemed to change his mind and re-stuck himself to his parent, looking up with a sheepishly guilty look, as if he knew he was going to get into trouble for this.  
The Kazekage was confused. Gaara would usually run to his uncle without looking back. Was his leg that pleasant to hug?  
Before he could stop himself, he ruffled the kid's red hair.  
He couldn't help it. The way his son's eyes shone with love when he looked up at him...  
He felt horrified with himself for giving in to his human instincts but couldn't stay angry when Gaara's eyes sparkled with pure joy and the boy pressed his face into his thigh and then moved back with a big:  
"Mwah!"

… A kiss? This was the outcome of sealing a bloodthirsty demon into his baby? How pathetic...  
"Go to Yashamaru now." he sighed, running his hand through his hair. "We'll resume training tomorrow."  
"OK!" beamed the redhead, running to embrace his uncle.

The Kazekage shook his head. Too much emotion. Not enough control. Maybe he should be far more strict, so that Gaara could understand the difference between a 'daddy' and a 'boss'.  
It was difficult to be harsh with him, though, no matter how frustrating he was to train.  
His son was just so lovable.

* * *

Blood on the street. That could only mean one thing.  
Gaara lost control. Again. But this time, it resulted in a death.  
A part of him hoped, begged, that his assumption was wrong. Gaara was such a sweet boy... He couldn't possibly have killed one of his villagers.  
The redhead walked past him and, the second he met his eye, he glanced away, guilt and tears in his eyes.  
So. It was him.

He didn't know what to think. His feelings were a mixture of disappointment, self-hatred, anger, frustration, hate for Gaara and still a bit of empathy for his son as well.  
He had always known that something like this might happen. The council had always mentioned that Shukaku was hard to control. But he had hoped that his flesh and blood would have the power to overcome those difficulties.  
Guess not.  
He was only six, though. How could someone so small and innocent kill. At least he was capable of killing... That was his job as a shinobi.  
But he wasn't suppose to kill the villagers of Suna!  
This could never happen again. He had to keep his village safe. It was his duty. He loved his village so much... but he loved his son too, no matter how furious he was.

A man appeared out of nowhere.  
"Lord Kazekage! The council wants to see you!" announced the messenger.  
Once he disappeared, the man groaned in frustration.  
He didn't have time to think this through at all.

* * *

His control was almost perfect. If he was being honest, he would admit that he was a little impressed. To gain this much of an upper-hand over a demon in 6 years was truly remarkable, even if his son's sanity had to be lost in the process. Unfortunately, his control wasn't... completely perfect. He still had slip ups where he would savagely kill an opponent. Actually, it probably wasn't a slip up anymore. Gaara loved the blood. He enjoyed it. He didn't care who it came from.  
And that still made him a threat to his village.

To trade his son's happiness for a powerful weapon... It didn't always sound like a such a great idea.  
But this is what he had and, as Kazekage, he would always find a solution to his problems.  
Father and son both sat on the floor of the clearing, taking deep breaths.  
"You hardly need me to train with you anymore, Gaara. As long as you don't hurt villagers, I can leave you alone. Can you do that?" he snapped at the boy, earning a huff in return.  
It could have meant yes. But he took it as a no. This kid could never be trusted. Ever.  
He wasn't even human anymore. His eyes were blank and filled only with occasional blood lust or hate. No more cute love from him. Maybe it was better this way after all.

"Here." he said, handing his son a bottle filled with water. With the desert heat, they had both worked up a sweat.  
He frowned when Gaara didn't move, just stared at his hand.  
"Gaara. It's water." he snapped.  
Still, the boy edged away from him and looked at him like a terrified, distrustful animal.  
Right. He tried poisoning him before.

The Kazekage rolled his eyes and took a sip from the bottle, to show his son that it was harmless. This time when he handed him the water, Gaara took it.  
When handing over the object to the redhead, he realized something. Gaara's hand was trembling.  
It was an agonizing kick to the gut for him, to see his son looking at him like this. When he looked into Gaara's eyes, he could see himself as his son probably saw him. A monster. A demon. A traitor. A murderer. A cruel man. The worst father in the world.  
I hate you father. I wish that you weren't my dad. I wish I were born into a different family.

The Kazekage wished that too. Remembering his young baby, so innocent, kindhearted, yet strong, intelligent and devoted, he wished that Gaara could have been someone else's kid.  
So that he would have been happy.

But life's life. He didn't ask for his wife to die, just like how he didn't ask for his son to lose control over Shukaku and turn like... this. And empty shell of sand filled with bitterness, hate and darkness.  
There was no light in his eyes.  
He was now somewhat used to it. He was Kazekage after all. He was a professional at looking past the emotional, the morally right to reach the preferable outcome.  
He still couldn't help these human moments from occasionally returning though.

Gaara softly prodded him in the side with the bottle.  
"You finished resting?" he asked his son cooly, taking the item from him.  
Gaara met his eyes for a fleeting second before glancing down at his hands.  
"Yes." replied the redhead in a slow, deep, sad voice.  
Maybe Gaara had those human moments too.

That was the saddest part of being shinobis. Duty came before feelings. Not that he had many left.  
If getting rid of his son was what it took to keep his village safe, so be it.  
His heart was cold. He could watch his son go through the life he lived without falling to pieces and crying for failing as a parent.  
Gaara? He knew how that boy felt.  
So lonely.

* * *

He watched Gaara walk of on his first, and last, mission without a jonin leader. It had taken him quite some time to assure Baki that they were perfectly capable of handling a B ranked mission to the Land of Waves. All they had to do was deliver a message.

He watched the demon's red head turn around to face him one last time. Gaara stared coldly at him and he stared back, feeling nothing. No sadness. No guilt.  
It had taken him his whole like to harden his heart to this point, to the point where he could kill his own children. Now, he was ready.  
It had to be done. For Suna.

He hardened his eyes into a glare and huffed when Gaara's eyes suddenly showed a tiny spark of fear before the boy turned away.  
His lips curled into a smirk. It was a waste for the other two, but everything was worth it, to get rid of this monster he had created.  
This boy was nothing but a problem. So dangerous. So selfish. So full of hatred for him. So...

* * *

The Kazekage groaned as he turned his head before blinking his eyes open.  
Still these nightmares.  
He laughed softly. He had dreamed about Gaara this time.  
If his conscience thought that it could punish him by creating remorse over memories of _Gaara_, then it was solely mistaken. He hated that child so much, since the day he killed his mother. That monster.  
There was no way he was ever going to feel bad for getting rid of the biggest mistake he made in his life. He did it all for his precious village.  
The man rubbed his eyes, completely ignoring the dampness of his tear-stained face and rolled back onto his side to sleep.  
Horrible demon. How he hated him.

* * *

**Dun dun dun duuuuuuun!  
Wow, finally, huh? They were saved! Story is nearing it's end...  
For anyone who didn't get it and boys, Temari was asking Reina for 'womanly sanitary products' in reason of her 'monthly mother nature's gift'. Get it?  
I apologize once again (though this is now a common occurrence) for the terrible delay. Hope you enjoyed it any way!  
Read, love, review please!  
XOXO ~~~ HimekoUchia (once this is done, there will be a short sequel ;p. I'll tell you what it's going to be about some other time)**


	20. Facing Reality

**Hiya! Please excuse slow updates from now on because Im currently in France, so that means very limited internet access (camping!) and my cousin's marriage, therefore less time writing and more time spent with my family. I will keep writing when I can though, since it's my drug.**

**Names, so that nobody gets confused:** **Reina and Yuudai – the two jonins, siblings of the man who sabotaged the boat (Jiro)** **Toshio – the other jonin/ Atsushi's friend** **Atsushi – the chuunin, brother of the little girl Gaara had unknowingly saved (who's name was Madoka, in case someone was curious).**

**In the last chapter, the runaway rescuers saved the Sand Sibs and the Kazekage was getting all guilty about Gaara. I don't own Naruto. Or anything but the plot and my OCs. Enjoy! We're nearing the end!**

* * *

Gaara, though he seemed calm and composed outside, was fighting back a strong urge to die or puke or both whilst tightly holding onto his seat.  
Forced day and night to be awake at sea... The only advantage was that he could wait until most of the people were asleep before doing things such as emptying his bladder (he secretly felt terrible for the only two women on board. He couldn't imagine how inconvenient it must be for them). He had almost forgotten how much he loathed being surrounded by water and sitting in a small rowboat in the middle of the ocean was definitely worse than being on a ship. For a second, he didn't think it could get any worse but, of course, it did.

"Oh, look! A shark!" gasped Baki, pointing at a dark silhouette cutting through the water. For citizens of Suna such animals were particularly a myth. Kankuro and Atsushi started following the fish with their eyes, incredibly fascinated at the sight.

Sharks... Gaara nearly cried. If he could have nightmares, his current situation would definitely be one of them. Vulnerable, no sand, surrounded by ocean, what he pictured to be a beast even more terrifying than Shukaku following them... He had never seen such a creature and had no intention of hanging around to meet it. A panicked glance to his sensei was enough to make the older man worried as well.

"Aw crap! Shark? We need to get out of here!" shouted Yuudai. He and Toshio started rowing frantically.  
"Don't splash the oars! You'll just attract it even more!" snapped Reina. "I hear that sharks don't usually attack humans and, for all we know, this one might be harmless. Just row quickly but smoothly."  
Everyone nodded.  
"I'm confused though..." started Baki. "I read about sharks in a manual on marine life once -..."  
"_Why_ would you read a manual on marine life?" chuckled Reina, eying the man curiously.  
"I-I simply wanted to expand my knowledge! Besides, it was rather interesting... So, as I was saying, it said that sharks are attracted to blood. Is someone bleeding? Kankuro, your wounds didn't reopen? Or maybe you threw your dirty bandages into the ocean? Did you?"

Whilst the adults started grilling her brother out, all Temari could do was slump lower into her seat, trying to hide her embarrassed face. She hadn't thought about the possibility of there being sharks in the water... Thankfully for all of them, though, and to Gaara's greatest relief, Reina had been right. The shark was harmless.

* * *

"Oh! The rest of the search party is still camping by the shore! HEY! We're back!" shouted Atsushi, standing up and waving his arms.  
Toshio grabbed the chuunin by the shirt and tugged him down.  
"Sit down! You're making the boat rock! Besides, for all we know, they might have had the order to execute us as traitors."  
This made Atsushi shut up and stare at his feet.

Gaara was staring at the shore with a mixture of dread and longing, not wanting to see all of those people but really wanting to get to dry land.  
"We have no choice, we can't stay out here forever. Let's just get to camp and we'll try explaining the situation to the captain. Besides, we've found the shipwreck, so we've completed the mission." sighed Yuudai. Everyone agreed that that was the only possible course of action that they could take at this moment, since they had run out of food and starving to death would not only be terrible for them but for the mission as well.

At first, they couldn't be spotted because they blended in with the few fishing boats sent out to sea by the nearby village but, once they got closer, one of the sensory type shinobi spotted them. They saw him jump to his feet and run into the captain's tent. The ninja on the rowboat held their breath as they kept rowing towards the shore, especially when their commander walked up to the shoreline accompanied by a few of his subordinates.

Eventually, the closer they got, the more people noticed them and stood by the ocean to wait for them.  
"Does the boss seem pissed off?" muttered Atsushi. Reina squinted her eyes.  
"He probably is." she replied.  
"Oh, don't worry. It's not like they'll do anything with the Kazekage's three devil spawns on your side. They're too scared." chuckled Kankuro darkly. Though the adults were embarrassed to admit it, he was right. They didn't have the best reputation in Suna, even if Gaara was the only one who deserved it to some extent. He did kill quite a few civilians.

The redhead felt his skin crawl when he noticed the looks of horror dawning on the shinobi's face once they saw him. He had mentally prepared himself, but he didn't expect it to hurt this much. He clenched the front of his shirt, over his heart, willing the pain to go away.

**Wounds of the heart. Stop re-opening them! Kid, I'm now saying this for your own good, these people aren't worth it. Your daddy isn't worth it. Your family isn't worth it. The whole damn world isn't worth it. Just get rid of everyone in our... your way!**

Gaara huffed, tearing his eyes away from the shore to glare at the floor of the boat. He felt a hand gently start rubbing circles into his back. He turned his head to see if it was Temari or Kankuro. His eyes widened. It was Baki.  
"... Sensei." he mumbled softly, shocked at the first sign of affection from anyone other than his siblings.

The man would never have done something like this, since his status as a ninja forbid him to do so, but he decided that since he had thought that they were drowned to death by their own father, he could permit himself to take this risky gesture. The boy looked as if he really needed it.  
It didn't seem to upset Gaara though. The kid leaned into him, probably craving comfort after all these years of hate and loneliness. Seeing the boy relax, Baki felt as if he had done something he should have done ages ago as his team's squad leader.  
Care for his students' emotional and moral well being as well as their physical one.  
Especially with Gaara since his emotions were far more dangerous than his physical capabilities.

Once they arrived and disembarked, the braver shinobi showered Reina, Yuudai, Toshio, Atsushi and Baki with questions. The others were staring silently at the siblings, their feelings a mix of confusion, terror and disappointment.  
The siblings noticed this but just kept their mouths shut, lips in a hard line, trying to ignore the looks.  
Like always.  
This was what they were relieved to escape whilst on the island. Now they had to suffer this again.  
All three of the siblings were wondering if they had made the right choice to leave their camp, regret starting to hit their hearts as they watched as the people from their village stared at their with scared, disgusted eyes. It was Hell.

However, some of the shinobi were starting to realize that something was off with the feared trio, especially Gaara. His eyes were scanning the crowd with a blank, slightly sad look instead of a look of hatred and bloodlust. The other two, instead of putting as much distance between their little brother and themselves, were standing by Gaara's side. For the first time, they actually looked like a team. The search party of Suna didn't know what to think.

"Enough! Everyone go back to your posts! You can chit chat later!" shouted the captain. "I need to speak with them!"  
The people reluctantly but obediently turned away, leaving their questions unanswered as their boss pulled the runaway team and the siblings into his tent.

Once the shinobi were all settled inside, the space was rather crowded, but everyone managed to fit, letting Baki and Reina sit right in front of the captain.  
There was a moment of silence, until Yuudai broke it because he couldn't stand the atmosphere. Or being cramped in the same room as Sabaku no Gaara for too long.  
"Hey, guess what? We found the shipwreck on a deserted island. We also found the Kazekage's three children. Cool, huh?" he grinned innocently, trying to pretend that his superior was not pissed at them for going against his orders.

Said man was deciding whether or not it was worth putting his pride as the captain of the search party away for the sake of hearing them out. Eventually, he sighed.  
"Yes. I guess that it's good that you went against my _strict orders_. You have completed our mission, so that is good. Now, tell me everything..."

The three ex-castaways stayed silent whilst their rescuers explained Reina's map, their escape using a life raft, their discovery of the island and shipwreck and how everyone had died except for the Kazekage's three children. The captain had looked a little angry, to the siblings' discomfort, until Atsushi had mentioned how each dead person had received a grave. He then looked surprised, before grunting.  
"I'm sure that the villagers would be disappointed to have lost their family, but glad to know that they now all have a resting place. We will inform the Kazekage of this, so that maybe the citizens of Suna might be able to occasionally visit that island. Welcome back, Temari-sama, Kankuro-sama... Gaara-sama." the man nodded in their direction. "I was wondering though... Did you discover the reason of the shipwreck as well? Was it really an accident?"

Everyone in the room visibly tensed, not knowing if they should share their secret. They all glanced at Yuudai and Reina, knowing that the truth would definitely get them in trouble as well as their village leader. If people found out that it was their brother who had caused the murder of so many innocent citizens under the Kazekage's orders...  
Suddenly, Gaara's voice cut through the tense atmosphere.  
"Yes. It was an accident. There was a storm the day the ship sank and the boat wasn't sturdy enough to handle it. A large wave caused it to flip over and everyone was either thrown into the sea or drowned." omitted the boy, leaving out the part where a man sent by his father sabotaged the boat.

Most of the people in the room were surprised when they heard the boy's voice, wondering why he would lie.  
It really did nothing for him. It only protected Reina, Yuudai and the Kazekage. If the truth were to ever come out, it would cause chaos in their village... no, their whole country could be in danger and lose an enormous amount of respect in the eyes of other nations. They hadn't expected Gaara of all people to give a damn about their home. The rescuers suddenly felt closer to the boy, all bonded by their common secret.

The captain stared at all of them for some time, then he nodded.  
"I see. I guess that it was just very unlucky that so many people had to lose their lives." he sighed. "We will return to the village immediately and share the news that the shipwreck was found. Thank you for taking the risk. You could have all been lost at sea permanently. You are dismissed."

The eight ninja left the tent, exchanging knowing looks before they melted into the crowd who wanted to hear their story.

* * *

He watched Gaara walk off on his first, and last, mission without a jonin leader. It had taken him quite some time to assure Baki that they were perfectly capable of handling a B ranked mission to the Land of Waves. All they had to do was deliver a message...

_Wait... He had already had this dream!_ The Kazekage grunted and crossed his arms. Why was his mind showing him this? Was there something he missed last time? Ah, yes, this time his mind took in the sight of the other two as well. Temari, Kankuro, Gaara. His three kids. His only kids. Marching off to their deaths. That he had orchestrated.

He knew all of this. Why? Why did his subconscious force him to relive these moments? Once was bad enough.

Suddenly, his vision blurred and when it cleared, he saw his three children, standing in front of him, younger than in the previous memory.

The smiling Temari walked up to him.  
"I love you daddy!" she giggled, opening her arms for him to pick her up. The Kazekage grunted and took a step back.  
"What are you talking about, Temari? You're... You're older than this! You should know better than to do... ask... to..." he rambled off incomprehensibly. The little girl frowned, then dropped her arms in disappointment.

Then, the toddler Kankuro ran up to him.  
"One day, I'll be like you, dad!" he shouted, trying to grab his parent's leg. The older man gasped and started backing up faster. An icy feeling of terror ran down his spine for some reason as he watched Temari and Kankuro stare wide eyed at him. At first, he couldn't quite place why. Then, he realized.  
They're eyes were completely lifeless.  
Suddenly, he tripped and fell on his back.

A tiny boy with a mop of red hair stood over him, looking down at him with dead eyes.  
"I... I can deal with the whole village hating me, father..." cried Gaara, his tears dropping on the Kazekage's face. "As... As long as you don't hate me! You don't hate me, do you, father? Do you love me? Maybe even only a little? Please..."

The man let out a whimper of fear, scrambled to his feet and starting slowly backing away again from his advancing children, who were all staring at him with innocence, though they had their hands extended towards him as if they wanted to rip him to shreds.  
"What... What do you want from me?" he growled. "You... You're all dead anyway!"  
He suddenly came to a halt as he banged into someone. He quickly spun around.  
"Oh, I apologize for not watching where I was..." he trailed off when he saw those familiar eyes staring at him with pure hatred.

"Yes... They are dead..." mumbled Karura, violently grabbing onto the front of her husband's shirt. The man's eyes widened in shock. His wife had never done something like this before.  
"You... You promised to protect them. To love them. I gave up my life to keep Gaara safe from harm! If only I had known... That harm was _you_! You... You monster! Our children! How could you!"  
The woman was now screaming hysterically at him.  
"How could you? Our babies are dead because of you! What do you have to say for yourself? So many innocent people were killed in this... Why? Why? I'm... I'm gonna kill you now..." she snarled. "Then we will meet in Hell... where murderers belong! Look! Look at what you have done!"  
The Kazekage was no longer holding back his tears and just let them flow freely. He frantically shook his head.  
"N-No..." he choked. "I don't want to see! I don't want to see! Please, don't make me... I don't want to see! I-I..."  
Karura grabbed him by the shoulder and turned him around, forcing him to witness the sight in front of him.  
"Face it! This... This is what you have done."

The man fell to his knees as he took in the sight.  
Temari. Kankuro. Gaara.  
Piled up one on top of the other. Pale. Covered in gashes. Bled dry. Eyes open with a look of inner turmoil forever plastered in them.  
Clothes drenched in blood and sea water. Drowned. Dead.  
This is what he had done.

He held his head between his hands, his eyes reflecting his agony.  
"No... No... I didn't do this... I did this.. But I tested Gaara so many times and, each time, he failed! He killed people! The other two would have killed me if I hadn't taken them out too! I had to do this! No... No, I didn't... Oh God, why? Why? Why are you doing this to me? I'm... I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I-I regret it! There... I SAID IT! I regret it! Now please, I beg you, stop this! I don't want to see this anymore! Bring them back! Bring them back! I'll do anything! Please, take me instead of them! Instead of all of them! I want to die! I want to die..." he sobbed pathetically.  
Taking short, labored breaths, he drew out a kunai. There. He could end all of this. He could end his endless nights of haunting dreams. His pain. His regret. All of the feelings he had been holding back. He could end this... Right now.

He stabbed the knife as hard as he could into his heart.

* * *

The Kazekage gasped in pain as he dropped his kunai. Wait... His... his kunai?

He slowly stood up, a palm pressed to his chest. He groaned at the faint pain, but noticed that his robe had probably taken most of the damage.  
He pulled his hand away and noticed the blood on his fingers. His eyes widened in horror.  
He... He nearly killed himself. In his sleep! This... This was so dangerous...  
He slammed his fist onto his desk, breathing deeply.  
"This... This is too much... I'll end up really killing myself..." he muttered to himself, lifting his hand off of the table and leaving red fingerprints on it. "Just because of these nightmares... Kami-sama's punishment, no doubt. I've never believed in such a thing, but I'm starting to wonder..."

He looked down at the kunai in his hand for a few minutes, then a few thoughts suddenly popped into his head. _Maybe I could really kill myself. I can't handle these haunting nightmares anymore. I'm going to go crazy and the village needs a sane leader. I'm already crazy... If the village doesn't need me and since my wife and children are dead, I would have nothing. With no power, respect or family, what do I have? Nothing. I have nothing left to live for..._

He grunted and shook his head, shocked at his own thoughts. He put the kunai away, bandaged his chest and changed his robes, frustrated to have fallen asleep on his night shift again.  
"I should start having a healthier sleeping pattern..." he said to himself. "Maybe then, I'll stop having such haunting dreams that are probably only due to exhaustion. I can't risk accidental suicide. It would bring dishonor on my village. Some of Sunagakure's reputation has already been sacrificed during that shipwreck..."

He frowned. What day was it? He squinted his eyes to see his calendar, then growled.  
"Where is the search team? They were supposed to be back a long time ago! Baki-san, Reina-san... All my best shinobi are currently searching for a ship that will never be found! Those fools! They should know better than to leave Sunagakure this unprotected... Hopefully, they'll be back soon... Urg... I'm getting migraines from all these... nightmares..."  
He left his office, locking himself in his room and passed out the second his head hit his pillow.

* * *

**Hate. Everyone hates you! How does it feel? What did I tell you? Nothing could ever change for a monster like us! And your siblings... I imagine that once you all enter the gates of Sunagakure, they will abandon you at the first chance they get. Nobody wants a brat, a burden like you hanging off of their arm. You'll see. Love only leads to even worse pain.**

Gaara, hidden from search party by a dune of sand, clenched his fists, letting the fine grains run through his fingers. The sun was rising to indicate their second day of travel and already the jinchuuriki couldn't stand this anymore. To feel so much anger directed at him...

The wounds of his heart were hurting again. The worst was that he understood why. Those people were hoping to find a loved one in that shipwreck. Instead, they found out that he was one of the only three to survive. If he were in their place, he would have also been bitterly disappointed, disgusted and full of resentment.  
He understood. He now could feel their pain of loosing a loved one. He didn't blame the shinobi of Sunagakure.  
But it still hurt.

It hurt so bad to realize that, to all of these people, he was still a demon. Everybody was flinching away the second he came within twenty meters of them and most of these people were tough adults.

**That's the way it is, kiddo. That's what you are to them. You don't have their love. You don't have their acceptance...**

Gaara grunted, shaking his head, trying to get his brain's roommate to shut up.  
He looked up at the endless sand dunes that stretched as far as he could see into the distance, deciding to think about what he had instead of what he didn't have for once.

Some people made all of this bearable.  
The first people who came to mind where his siblings, who constantly smiled and made conversation with him whenever they decided that he seemed lonely. However, their re-integration into society wasn't as difficult as his, so Gaara sometimes watched with sadness and a little jealousy as his family spent time speaking to other shinobi, sharing a few episodes of their adventure, whilst he watched, wishing that someone would ask him to share his story too.  
He was sick of being forced to keep all of his thoughts to himself because of the fact that people would probably run screaming if he even opened his mouth, fearing that he was about to attack them with a sand coffin.

Gaara started chewing his lip.  
There he was. Depressing himself again. He had to stop, or he would go crazy and that would allow Shukaku to take over and he might harm his family again.  
He thought about the slight improvement in the way he felt around people. Baki also helped, by treating him the same way as he treated his other two students. The man was also the one to constantly make sure that he wasn't hungry or cold, like a naggy parent. Gaara knew that his sensei was just trying to make sure that he was calm, especially after going through such an emotional trauma as being stranded onto a deserted island, but he truly appreciated the man's efforts at caring for him. It probably wasn't an easy thing for him to accept his student's amazing change of heart, but he had immediately treated Gaara liked a person that he had missed and that really meant something to the redhead.

Another person who no longer seemed to despise his existence was Reina.  
Gaara had no idea why she was trying to act kind to him or why she seemed to always hang around his sensei, but he did enjoy the moments when she would smile and talk to him as if he were a human being. The woman would occasionally ask him a question about how they had coped with living away from civilization and Gaara would answer and respond with a question about how she had figured out their location. In other words, he could actually hold short conversations with Reina. It was an improvement and Gaara was realizing how interesting other people could be.  
He started feeling a tiny bit bad for murdering so many people in his short life.

Then there was Atsushi.  
He didn't know if the boy was nice, brave, reckless or just really stupid, but he didn't seem to fear him so much anymore. One time when Gaara was eating the older teen had actually sat besides him. He had wanted to start a conversation about little sister, asking the jinchuuriki about her last moments. The redhead had asked in curiosity if he resented Yuudai and Reina because their brother had tried to kill his sister and eventually had caused her to die in the shipwreck. The boy had hesitated but had replied that no, he didn't hate the two jonin for what their brother had done because they couldn't have stopped Jiro from completing his mission.  
He had said that he actually quite liked Reina, but thought that her brother was sort of a jackass. Gaara had decided at that moment that, one day, he would do everything he possibly could to become friends with this chuunin. The jinchuuriki realized that he could really take an example on this boy's kind, forgiving attitude.  
After all, if this guy was so charismatic then he was obviously doing something right.

The other person that could keep eye contact with the jinchuuriki for more than two seconds without flinching was Toshio, the mysterious and silent jonin that hung around Atsushi. He found out through the chuunin that they usually stayed together because they had formed a friendship during their night shifts guarding the search party's ship together, especially since they had both lost a member of their family during the shipwreck, so they had that in common. Toshio himself didn't try to speak to Gaara, but since the man didn't seem to be avoiding the boy either, the redhead presumed that he at least wasn't terrified of him anymore, after having spent over a day at sea stuck on a life raft with him and realizing that he was no longer bloodthirsty.

The only person from the runaway rescue team that still seemed to despise Gaara's existence was Yuudai.  
It hurt the boy to even think of the man's name. The second that they had arrived at the shore, the man had gladly stopped acting as if he even existed. Yuudai was the only dent in the redhead's hope to redeem himself, since he still avoided Gaara like the plague when he wasn't throwing dirty looks at him. Of course, the jinchuuriki couldn't blame him, but this man's glares hurt twice as much as the other shinobis', because Yuudai had witnessed the boy's sincere apology. He had seen Gaara prove to them that he had changed, but the man still refused to even accept the possibility that the redhead wasn't evil. It made Gaara wonder if he would ever be able to win his village's trust, if a man that had seen him in his most vulnerable state still hated him.

"Hm... I figured you would be hiding in a sad corner." came a sarcastic voice, suddenly cutting through Gaara's thoughts, causing him to blink and turn his head towards the person who had intruded on his inner turmoil. To his surprise, it was the man that he had been previously thinking about.  
Yuudai.

Gaara frowned, not having any idea as to how he should respond to the jonin's obvious taunt.  
"I... like being surrounded only by sand. It helps me think." he eventually replied, not knowing where this was going.  
"Really? I think that you are just trying to escape the glares of terror and bitter disappointment that the shinobi of Suna seem to always keep sending your way." retorted Yuudai cooly.  
Ouch. Gaara hardened his eyes into a slight frown, wondering if the man had only come here to make him feel terrible. He didn't even know what this could bring the jonin.  
"Yes." he responded icily. "I am. You have no idea what it's like..."

Yuudai sent him a smirk, which made anger boil in the jinchuuriki's heart. He had never had a person act so mean and say exactly what they thought of him in his face before.  
"You're right. I don't know what it's like to be you. Must be hard. An, apparently, _ex_-psychopath. Possessed by a demon. Hated even by my father. Feared by all. Shunned like a monster. To take out all my loneliness and complexes on the world by stealing another person's life. I have no idea what it's like. Must royally suck to be you." hummed Yuudai, sitting cross-legged in front of the boy, leaving a fake smile plastered to his face.

Every word the jonin had spoken stabbed Gaara through the heart because, no matter how cruel, they were all true. The jinchuuriki didn't understand why Yuudai was doing this to him. He had a sudden urge to kill him right then, but he fought back his fury and pain. He didn't want to prove Yuudai right. He didn't want to prove to him that he was indeed the monster everyone thought he was. Instead, the redhead bit the inside of his cheek, hoping that his emotions weren't appearing on his face.  
"What do you want?" hissed the boy. "If you only came here to make me feel worse about myself, then don't bother. It's already bad as it is."

Yuudai raised an eyebrow.  
"I don't understand how my sister could even stand looking at you!" he spat. "You killed our brother! Next, are you going to kill Reina too? I'm pretty sure that that's what you're planning. Psychopaths like striking when their victim is least expecting it."  
The man was starting to sound absurd to Gaara.  
"I already told you all that I am sorry for that!" huffed the redhead, nails digging so hard into his palms that a thin layer of sand formed to protect his skin. "And I am _not_ planning on killing Reina-san. I'm wasn't even planning on killing _you_, though I'm starting to get tempted."  
"Oh, really?" growled the jonin. "You are really going to leave me alive after the way I just treated you? Come on, if you're really Sabaku no Gaara then end my life. It's all too easy for you. Do it, you brat."

Gaara stood up abruptly, his furious glare making Yuudai shiver slightly. Suddenly, the boy's face returned to his infamous cold, emotionless mask. Yuudai shut his eyes. Crap, maybe he really was going to get killed. Well, at least it would be a warning to his sister to stay away from the demon...  
"If you want to die so much, then kill yourself. It's not my problem. I'm not going to do it _for _you."

After a few seconds of dead silence, Yuudai cracked open an eye. His face broke into a sincere smile.  
"So you're really not gonna kill me?" he asked, amazement lacing his words.  
"No..." replied Gaara, suddenly quite confused.  
"You sure?" pushed Yuudai stubbornly. "Not even a little? Maybe rip off an arm or two?"  
The redhead was starting to wonder if the man had issues with his mental health. Maybe they had something in common after all.  
"Um... No." repeated the boy.

Yuudai stood up and dusted himself off.  
"Wow. So you really aren't faking it. If you were still the demon I knew, the one that would kill for fun or simply because a guy looked at them funny, then I would be six feet under by now. You really are different. That's... incredible. A miracle must have happened on that island!" mused the jonin.  
Gaara was starting to understand where this conversation had come from.  
"Something like that..." he muttered. "Were you... testing me?"  
"You can say that. My instincts told me that you were different from before, but I was too stubborn to believe it. I was worried for my sister's life too. I guess that it's hard to let go of an image of a person that you have had for years. But... I think that..." Yuudai cleared his throat. "... I'll let go of it now. You were, and are, just a kid anyways. You don't deserve all of this crap people put you through... and... I'm sorry. What I just did to you was really not cool. I went a little overboard, but I just really needed to be sure that I could trust you not to go all crazy on anyone."

He extended a hand towards Gaara. He had run a risk doing this to the boy, but he now had the proof that Gaara could control himself. Though he was still wary, he had no interest in staying on the redhead's bad side. Just in case.  
"I totally understand if you don't accept, but I really don't want to be your enemy. Having you with us... With Suna... Forget that jackass of a Kazekage, it's you who would really make us feel safe."

The redhead stared at the hand, shocked and hesitant. Then, he remembered what he had learned from Atsushi.  
Forgiveness. He cautiously took Yuudai's hand and shook it.

The man suddenly smiled again.  
"Actually, I originally came here to tell you that we're moving out now. So, come on, you don't want to be left behind, do yah?" he taunted, starting to walk back to the camp.

Gaara followed him, tilting his head up slightly to look up at the sky.  
_Father... Did you see that? I didn't even touch that asshole. I might even have a few new friends soon. It's a great feeling. Father... I'm truly not the monster that you created anymore. So when we meet again, please..._  
The boy drew in a ragged breath, quickening his pace and joining his siblings so that they could travel together.  
_… Please, see that._

* * *

**Note to my female readers: if you are in the middle of the ocean on a tiny rowboat, I presume that it wouldn't be a very good idea to chuck used tampons into the ocean...**

**Well, I thought that it was about time for the Kazekage to start suffering big time and for Yuudai to get a little character development. He's incredibly reckless, I agree but, hey, that's just who he is. High five for Gaara for keeping his cool. He's awesome. Wish daddy would see it.** **One more chapter left of this story before the sequel. I'll try to release the next chapter at the same time as the first chapter of the sequel so that you would be able to subscribe to it immediately (because I know ****_I _tend to forget to check back for sequels).**

**Gaara has a few potential friends now. Good for him, right? The character of Atsushi in this chapter was kind of based off of Matsuda's character from Death Note. Kind, a little naive, forgiving and awesome.**

**Obviously, the 'testing' part makes reference to the 'tests' that the Kazekage made Gaara go through when he was young. This time, he didn't fail the test :) Leave a review and you'll get a cybercookie!  
Enjoy your holiday!  
Love,  
XOXO ~~~ HimekoUchia (who watched 'Brave'? Pretty awesome)**


	21. Sick

_**Long author's note! Please read, it's important. Though, you can always just skip to the chapter first then come back to this later :)**_

**This is extremely late. I've started a new school year and... well, keep reading until the end of the author's note and you'll find out why else I haven't updated in ages.**

**Clarification for stuff I messed up (I'll go over the chapter before this one, as well as the Gaara-and-Temari-in-the-cave-waiting-for-Kankuro-to-return one (too much OOCness), once I finish the story, for now I'm just trying to wrap this up):**

**Yuudai doesn't forgive nor** _**like**_** Gaara. He just doesn't want him on his bad side (would you want Sabaku no Gaara as an enemy?). And hey, Yuudai is actually a nice guy deep, deep inside, believe it or not, so he has accepted that Gaara has changed. I know that this really wasn't clear, but I was writing the chapter from **_**Gaara's point of view. **_**Gaara doesn't know what Yuudai really thinks. It's just what he sees.  
****  
Gaara isn't in the 'after-the-fight-with-Naruto' mental state yet. He is still selfish and quite immature. He has come to the point where he realizes that he had done horrible things and he feels bad, but he can't bring himself to regret it because he was doing it to protect his life and existence. Since he is a pretty angsty guy, a lot of his self-hate makes him look compassionate to others, but I mostly saw it as self-pity. Thanks to his siblings, however, he learned the meaning of protecting those dear to him and dealing with his self-image. In other words, he would be willing to put his life on the line for Temari and Kankuro, but not for his village filled with people who hate him. He isn't that noble. Yet.  
I agree, his character development was a little rushed, but Naruto managed to change him in **_**20 seconds **_**in the heat of battle. I didn't find it too unrealistic to have Gaara - in a calm setting, surrounded by family members who don't hate him, over a longer period of time - become nicer.**

**Kazekage's nightmare: Imagine the Sand Sibs are innocent-eyed-zombiefied... That's how I picture it. I'll fix that too.**

**OK, so for why I have been MIA for ages...**  
**During the holidays, I was busy chilling (just being honest), then I was hit with by the new school year with a heavy work/testload. Then, for the past few weeks I've been... emotionally hindered.**  
**My 17 year old friend was cycling at night. He was going extremely fast and crashed into a car. He was declared brain dead a few days later and his parents have decided to donate his organs because he had wished to become a rescue helicopter pilot. He has saved 5 lives and died a hero.  
****Life can be horrible. Life can beautiful. But one thing is certain: life is short and fleeting.**  
**So please... Drive safely. Cycle safely. Rest in peace A.P.**

**I've now gotten that off of my chest, so we can proceed to the chapter.**

* * *

The majestic arch towered over the jinchuriki, the single kanji shining down at him. Wind.  
Gaara took a long, shaky breath, not sure if he was ready to brave the whole village's hate and fear or if he should just stay away. Maybe hide in his loneliness. Forever.  
For on the other side of this gate stood Gaara's greatest fear, the object of his purest hate, yet the person who's approval he yearned for the most.  
His father. The man who ruined his childhood.

He used to think that the man ruined his whole life until he realized that his life had hardly even begun yet. He was twelve. He was a genin. He was a child.  
He had his whole life ahead of him to try to make things better for himself. That is, unless his father murdered him first.  
The redhead gulped, his eyes melting in terror and he took a step closer, being forced to follow the group marching towards the entrance to their village, but slowly trailing behind.

"Gaara...?" whispered Temari, her eyes narrowing in concern. Then she understood. "Oh. Don't think about it, we're here, OK?"  
Kankuro squeezed his little brother's shoulder, hoping to be comforting whilst gently pushing him through the gates of Suna as well.  
"There are many paths in life, brother. However, no matter which one you take, they all lead _forward_." he smiled, trying to be supportive.

Gaara mentally sighed and accepted his fate, feeling sick. Through the gates of Hell he went.  
The trio marched into their native village. They could sense the villagers' excitement at seeing the search party, their confusion at the disappointed look on their shinobis' faces and then, finally, the feelings of horror and anger crushing down on top of them as the people noticed the three teens, namely Gaara.  
All eyes turned to the trio, some gasped, some ran away, some muttered 'demon', some cursed out loud and someone, hidden in the crowd, screamed:  
"How dare you? How dare you show your face here, monster! Die! Drown! Nobody wants you back!"

Gaara felt his stomach churn and felt as if he was going to be sick. He hid his pain by instinctively throwing a glare at the crowd, causing all of them to immediately quiet down for a moment. Temari had to hold onto Kankuro's good arm to prevent him from running into the group of gawking people and punch their teeth in for what they were saying about his little brother.  
After a few minutes of forcing blank looks onto their faces and trying to ignore the cruel whispers, their sensei came to their aid.  
"Temari. Kankuro. Gaara." The three turned to face Baki who had a furious but dead serious look. "You three should quickly go to the living quarters of the Kazekage's tower."  
Or just get out of here, fast. Before you start a riot.  
He didn't say it, but they understood.

However, the siblings hesitated for a second. Should they really run away? They weren't cowards.  
Their sensei could sense their inner-dilemma.  
"... It's an order." he clarified.

"OK. We'll... get cleaned up." agreed Temari.  
The trio turned away to make their retreat, relief flooding their system against their will.  
"One more thing..." added Baki in a whisper. "I will gather with the captains to prepare a mission report. I'm afraid that you three will have to be with us to deliver it. The Kazekage would want to see the survivors with his own eyes. Just... You know how this whole shipwreck incident started, so... Prepare yourselves, OK?"  
His students nodded.  
"Understood." deadpanned Kankuro.  
Then the three sped off over the rooftops of Suna, shamelessly escaping the crowd, not wanting to be faced with reality just yet.

They weren't welcome. Not even in their own village.

* * *

The siblings had taken a shower Sunagakure style (using minimal water) and they were really starting to miss the flowing river in their campground... or even the waterfall further upstream that also held horrible memories.  
However, the Suna way did the job and they they sat in their living room in silence, waiting for Baki to come get them, feeling spotless for the first time in ages.  
Nails had been clipped, hair re-trimmed, clothes changed and, in Kankuro's case, the slight facial stubble had been shaved.

Any servants who walked into the room and spotted them would widen their eyes in shock, before bowing hastily and quickly backing out of the room.  
"Home sweet home..." muttered Kankuro bitterly whilst bandaging his still broken arm. "The only good thing about being back is that we don't need to gut our own meals anymore. And the toilets, of course."  
"We have to stop by the hospital later to get all of our wounds checked." pointed out the kunoichi. "If one of us ended up bringing an exotic disease back to the village with us, we could start an epidemic."  
The puppet-nin snorted.  
"Well, that would involve people actually getting close enough to us to catch something. Let's face it, we're on permanent quarantine. Nobody likes to be around us."

Gaara, who had been silent up until now, spoke up.  
"Kankuro... You don't have to keep saying things like that. Though the villagers fear you and Temari out of respect, they don't hate you. I'm the one that they wish were dead." he said, frowning.  
"None of us have a fan-club either." shrugged Temari, combing through her hair, then tied it up into four pigtails. She sighed with relief knowing that she hadn't hacked it off to the point where her usual hairstyle would be impossible. "I really wish that I could stop caring about what people think, but it easier said than done. People in our society like to act like emotionless robots, but it's all just an act. We're are all human beings. I wonder if all the villages take this charade as seriously as us."  
"From what I've heard, Suna has got a pretty frightening reputation amongst the Five Great Shinobi Nations. Kirigakure's is worse, though, with their Hidden Mist Techniques and old graduation exam that consisted of murdering your own teammates. Apparently, Konohagakure ninja are the nice and fruity ones. They value comrades above missions and all that. They say that it makes them stronger." chuckled Kankuro.

"They might be right. They are the most powerful ninja nation, after all." sighed Temari, her fingers gliding over the smooth metal of a new kunai. "I miss my fan."  
"Your _fan_? You can _buy_ a new fan! Puppets are _irreplaceable_! I have to remake new ones! I can't even do that for the moment since I've only got one good arm." grumbled Kankuro.  
"Oh please." sniggered Temari. "You can go to a flea market and buy a little girl's dolls anytime you want."  
Gaara mentally sighed, knowing where this was going.  
"Dolls? Dolls? For the last time, my puppets aren't dolls. Dolls don't have dangerous weapons built into them!" growled the brunet.  
His sister lifted an eyebrow.  
"Oh really? Mine did. When I was a little kid, of course."

Not wanting the argument to get out of hand, Gaara did something that he knew would shut his siblings up. He summoned sand from outside the living room window and created a new gourd for himself.  
It worked. Kankuro and Temari both jumped up and stared bug-eyed at him, their little brother's actions obviously scaring the absolute crap out of them.  
The redhead just shrugged. Better safe than sorry, especially with their father not too far away.

"Wow... Gaara sure knows how to kill the mood." huffed Kankuro, sinking back down into the couch.  
The younger boy didn't know if he was supposed to glare or to ignore his brother's comment.

There was a moment of silence.  
"How... do you think father will react to seeing us?" mumbled Temari, poking the tip of her kunai into her middle finger, wincing when she accidentally applied too much pressure and drew blood.  
"I bet the he will choke on his coffee." huffed Kankuro humorlessly.  
"I bet the he will stare at us with horrified eyes" added Gaara.  
"I bet that he will stammer like a moron then go back to being professional." sighed the kunoichi.

"Well... you'll be seeing for yourselves soon."  
The trio turned to face Baki, who was leaning against the door frame, a slight look of sadness lingering in his eyes. Seeing his students so calm like this... It hurt him. He had missed out on all their emotional growth but was proud of them for it. Now, they were worrying about how their father, who tried to eliminate them, was going to react.

Their sensei could tell that, no matter how cool they seemed, they were filled will nervousness and worry.  
Because... deep inside... they wanted their father to love them. To be glad to see them.  
But he knew that his boss was never going to show it, even if, by some miracle, a tiny part of him was relieved to see his own children alive.  
Baki's fury towards the Kazekage had mellowed out during the past few days and he had started to think.  
Was the Kazekage a truly, cruel, horrible man? He was.  
But he was still human, like they all were... How could he have taken the decision to kill all three of his children?  
Baki really wondered what went through that man's head. Maybe he had an alcohol problem that no one knew about.

He shook his head. Even after learning to despise his boss, it went against his nature to disrespect him.

The three teenagers stood up to follow their leader out of the room, to their father's office, feeling as if they were walking straight into a slaughterhouse.

* * *

All four of them had made a scarily accurate guess.

Hearing someone knock on his door, the Kazekage hastily stuffed the half empty bottle of sake into his top drawer. So... this is what the great sanin Tsunade felt like...  
He combed his messy hair with his fingers, rubbed his exhausted eyes (praying that his bags weren't too visible... he didn't want to look like Gaara), straightened out his robe, took a long sip of coffee and cleared his throat before calling out:

"Come in!"

The door opened. Baki, Reina, Yuudai and the jonin he assigned to coordinate the mission entered the room. He frowned in suspicion and took another sip of coffee. Why were Baki and the siblings here? They weren't leaders of this mission.  
Did Baki know about the sabotage? Did the captain know about the sabotage? Did everybody now know about the sabotage? Did they even find the shipwreck?

Temari, Kankuro and Gaara walked into the room, closing the door behind them.  
The Kazekage proceeded to choke on his mouthful of coffee, spraying some onto his white robes.  
He looked at his children, a look of utter disbelief on his face. He pinched himself.  
"But... How..." he stammered.

No. This wasn't just another nightmare, playing cruel tricks on his mind, manipulating his emotions and showing him what he wanted to see.  
Temari. Kankuro. Gaara.  
All three of them were here. Alive. Safe.  
Anything he felt was overwritten by one thought.  
He was in deep shit.

The jonin captain stared at his boss, confused, whilst everyone else in the room gave their Kazekage an innocent, yet knowing, look.  
He cleared his throat.  
"Welcome back, everyone. Mission report?" he asked, mentally praising himself for getting his cool back so quickly.  
A shinobi, especially a Kage ranked one, wasn't ever supposed to be taken by surprise. He had slipped up, but most people would deem that reaction normal for a ninja parent finding out that his children were alive.  
Yes. That's right. He hadn't given anything away himself.

"A success! The shipwreck was located. However, there weren't any survivors. Apart from your children. All of the dead received a grave thanks to Gaara-sama, so maybe you could organize a few trips so that the villagers can visit their dead? Maybe built a shrine in their memory. They were mostly civilians, after all." suggest the captain, taking a bow.  
The Kazekage's eyes narrowed. Did he hear correctly? Gaara?  
He couldn't think too much about it now, or he was going to lose it again. He had to quickly bullshit his way out of this situation before getting his thoughts together.  
"I see. Well, I'll bring this information to the council. Congratulations to the search party. And..." he was going to say something, anything, to his children, to welcome them back in an either professional or fatherly way. But he couldn't even look directly at them without getting the sudden overwhelming urge to cry. "... Baki-san, take your team to the hospital for a check up. You are all dismissed. Except for Reina-san and Yuudai-san. You two stay."  
Two said jonins both gulped, ignoring the looks they got from their fellow jonin and the three children.

The Kazekage watched silently as everyone but the two siblings left the room.

Once they were alone, he immediately cut to the chase.  
"Who else knows about the sabotage?" he snarled, glaring his two subordinates down. "And don't even try to lie."  
"... A few people have figure out that someone must have been pulling the strings. None can really imagine that it was your doing all this time." answered Reina.  
"It was a mistake letting you two join the search party." sighed the Kazekage. "... How many people have you told?"  
Yuudai froze up, but his sister calmly did the talking.  
"A few. So if you were to eliminate us, the people we told will immediately make that information public to the village. They will believe us, of course, since most people know that our brother was coincidentally on a secret mission on that boat."

"Who are these people?" asked the Kazekage, trying to keep a straight face.  
"We aren't going to tell, of course. If you interrogate us, then you will have to tell the whole interrogation team what happened and that just wouldn't do, won't it? Many of them have lost family during that mission. In other words..." Reina leaned closer to her boss's desk, smiling darkly. "You really should have killed us the _second_ you knew that our brother died. It's too late now."  
She leaned back.  
"However, we do value the village's safety over anything, so we won't be divulging that information to anyone else in fear of disrupting the peace and our already unstable government. It would be in your very best interest to keep up alive, Kazekage-sama."

Yuudai whistled, impressed by his sister's blackmailing and the village leader stared at the woman with dark, amused eyes.  
The Kazekage suddenly let out a mad laugh, causing the two jonin to shiver.  
"Oh, Reina-san... I did well in promoting you, didn't I? You really are one of our finest shinobi. Careful, Yuudai-san, or you might be overshadowed."  
The man snorted and gave his boss a quick look over. He hated getting compared to his sister. He knew that she got the gift of acting and manipulation. However, he had gotten the gift of perceptibility and instinct.  
"Bags. You are suffering from insomnia. Nightmares. Guilt, maybe? Ah... They involved your children or your late-wife... You placed that picture face down on your desk. You've been drinking heavily for at least seventeen hours. You're probably hiding a bottle of sake in your top drawer. Last night, you cried yourself to sleep, after taking a few sleeping pills. There is an empty box of medicine and loads of tissues in the waste paper basket. There are scratches on your desk. You've probably been falling asleep while working. Coffee. You probably want to sleep right now. Judging by your reaction when seeing your children, you were horrified that they were alive. Yet, there was a flicker of pure happiness in your eyes when you saw them. You missed them, you really..."

"Enough!" spat the Kazekage, suddenly feeling very vulnerable. "You are both deserving of your titles. Now, you are dismissed. Get out of my sight before I have you escorted."  
The two jonins bowed quickly before scampering out the room. They knew that the man was the Kazekage for a reason, and crossing him again could mean that they would mysteriously disappear without even leaving a corpse behind.

Once he heard their steps fade away, he stood up, walk towards the closest wall and punched his fist through it.  
"This is not happening..." he seethed, staring at his bloody knuckle.  
His children. His children were alive. After he had sacrificed a whole shipload of civilians to get rid of them!

Temari. She had burns and scars on her face and running down her arms. Her hair was much shorter than he remembered and her eyes much sharper, stronger and accusative when they glared down at him. She knew the truth. She knew how he had betrayed them.  
Kankuro. He had his arm in a sling, a bandage wrapped around his forehead and he looked... older. He now resembled his father much less, for some reason. It might have been the fact that his eyes were devoid of utter exhaustion, insomnia and soul crushing guilt. The man was glad for that.  
Gaara... The Kazekage was most amazed by Gaara's appearance. Physically, he hadn't changed at all. But there was something different about the aura around that surrounded him. He no longer felt hate and blood lust crash down on him every time the redhead blinked.  
His eyes... Oh, his eyes... The Kazekage couldn't exactly explain what was so different about them, since the boy still refused to meet his gaze. However, he had felt a strange connection between his children. What they had lived together on that island had brought them together. They had all become completely different people. He hardly even recognized them.  
They looked like siblings now. Like a team.  
The Kazekage couldn't help the feeling of terror from spreading through his body. Scared. He was scared of his children. United, he could only imagine what they were capable of.

He punched the wall again, ignoring the hot burn of pain when the already opened flesh on his hand scraped the sandy surface.  
Yuudai was right. He had been extremely happy to see them. The Kazekage was going to give himself a minute to rejoice when he suddenly remembered something.  
"The council..." he groaned. "The council doesn't care about anything but getting rid of Gaara."  
They would be furious when they found out that the boy survived. Especially when they had been the ones who suggested 'taking extreme means for the greater good' to kill him, and that had resulted in the Kazekage organizing the sabotage.

The man debated on whether or not he should simply slit the throat of every damn old council geezer and Wind Lord he had to obey to. Why couldn't he just run his village the way he wanted to?  
Ah, yes, something about "anti-dictatorships", "separation of powers" and "lack of experience".  
But he was the one making all the damn sacrifices, doing all the dirty work!  
Murdering his own son. He had thought it easy and relieving to do so, but after nearly losing his children... It was not something a parent wanted to go through twice, no matter how emotionally trained he was.

It sickened him. It made him want to hang himself. Betraying his late-wife's trust like that...  
Yet, he knew that he would never hear the end of this from the council until Gaara was dead, his young, bleeding body at their feet, cremated to ash then buried to be forgotten forever. This time, the group of old farts would probably give him an ultimatum. Get rid of Gaara once and for all. Or they were going to replace him with another, more suitable candidate to be the leader of their village. They were already questioning his mental state, judging by the looks he got the day earlier.  
If he lost his position... The new Kazekage would have no remorse ruthlessly torturing his son until he was begging for death.  
The man nearly cried in horror at that thought. It made him want to get sick all over the floor.  
No. He could never let that happen. His very limited moral code wouldn't allow a person to actually enjoy killing Gaara. That's why he had chosen Yashamaru to test his son, so many years ago. He wouldn't take pleasure in hurting the boy.  
The only people now who would eliminate the jinchuriki in a more-or-less-merciful way were... his siblings and Baki. The Kazekage knew that they would never do it, not even as their duty as Suna shinobi. Especially not after he had ordered that ship sabotaged. He had lost a lot of trust.  
The only other person who could accomplish that mission was... himself.  
The Kazekage continuously punched the wall, letting blood gush freely down his sleeves.  
Sick. Sick Sick.

* * *

"What was that about?" whispered Baki, taking a sip of his tea.  
Reina looked over her shoulder before leaning closer to the man sitting across the table from her.  
"Let's just say that, if my brother or I were to suddenly disappear, you and the other people who know about what _really_ happened will have to make the truth public to the village. I had to blackmail him or he was definitely going to eliminate us." she sighed.  
"Ah... Yes. Smart. If the villagers knew what the Kazekage had planned, they would definitely cause a bloody riot." replied the man.

The kunoichi nodded.  
"How are your students?" she asked softly.  
"They're hospital check-up came out clean. Otherwise... Not really well. They try to play it off as nothing, but what their father did really hurt them." huffed Baki. "And the village... I understand their anger, but I was still furious when I heard what that man said."  
"I can only imagine. That was not fair for the children. Especially for Gaara-sama, since constant assassination attempts have been going on for years, right? Horrible. You can't expect a kid to be mentally stable after thar. I can really see why you were always so fond of them. They went through so much in their short lives, yet they keep becoming better people. It's amazing. I mean, you and I were young when the last war ended, we've been through Hell... Yet we constantly judge. We are unable to make true friends. We're both _old _and single. Honestly, I don't think that I've become a better person at any time in my life. I'm manipulative. I'm a liar. I feel as if I just get worse everyday." admitted Reina, not knowing whether telling Baki this was a good idea.

She figure that it was, once the man gave her an amused look.  
"Well, you aren't as old as me, Reina-san, so you have plenty of time to grow as a person if you wish."  
"I'm not that much younger than you are. Maybe you're right, though. It's not too late." she smiled.  
The two jonins clinked glasses and down their tea as if it were sake.  
"As long as we're alive, it's never too late to improve." Baki made a face. "As long as we're alive, our souls are at the mercy of our leaders."

* * *

**The story is about to end! The next chapter is probably going to be the ending and the epilogue (which will actually partly be the first chapter of the sequel, so the epilogue and the first chapter of the sequel will be posted at the same time so that you can subscribe to both :). Unless, of course, my last few ideas take longer to write out.  
Yeah. Kazekage is nice but still terrible. He is fun to write :)  
Do you guys see what the sequel is gonna be about? If not, you'll find out once I update. Which will be as soon as I can (after another chapter of TBP). Once this story and its sequel are officially over, then I'll write a new Hetalia story.  
So, read, review, love... Drive safely!  
HimekoUchia (I realized that being really old can actually be an amazing thing. It means that your survived)**


	22. Epilogue: When They Stand Together

**So this is the epilogue... The final chapter of this story!  
Chapter 4 and 21 were editted. It's the chapter where Gaara and Temari are stuck in that cave waiting for Kankuro to return. I make Gaara less nice as the OOC had been pointed out and, re-reading it, I really noticed how bad it was. And the Yuudai with Gaara scene, plus the Kazekage's nightmare, have been slightly altered to that everyhting was clearer, including Yuudai's intentions.**

**I had to re-write some of the scenes in this chapter a few times before being satisfied enough to post it. Sorry for lateness, crazy school year so far. Homework, presentations, starting to think about my SATs that I will start taking next year and stuff (OMG so much vocab). I already picked my subjects and all... I would love to go to the States to study one day. Or to the UK. Don't really want to go back to France. WOAH I still have 2 and half years before graduating, I shouldn't be freaking out now.**

**To the story! Enjoy!**

* * *

For a few days, the three siblings were met with harsh, accusative glares whenever they traveled to their usual training spot. Though Gaara was more than used to this, it shocked Temari and Kankuro to realize how terrible it felt to be so unwanted. They had always believed that it would be easy to deal with hate, but it was harder than they had thought. To think that their little brother had to go through this everyday of his life... They started to understand how he lost his sanity.

Thanks to all of their shinobi training, however, they managed to haughtily ignore all of the glares and make it to their training sessions without showing any emotion. To avoid any possible violence on behalf of a furious villager, Baki refused to have his students leave his sight if they were outside the walls of their house. He knew that they could defend themselves, though he wasn't so sure if villagers could handle Gaara's anger. Baki believed in his students, but he didn't want to put anyone's life at risk. The situation was bad enough as it was.  
The four shinobi picked up their training where it had left off. Before they got shipwrecked. Before their father had tried to kill all three of them.

Baki was impressed at their drastically improved teamwork. They used to be a fractured team, with members who didn't trust each other and who resented being stuck together. Now, they were probably one of the most powerful squads in Suna.  
The siblings weren't surprised when Baki insisted on them perfecting their taijutsu abilities. He was especially tough on Gaara. He hard heard how helpless the jinchuriki could be during storms and, though Suna had an infinitesimal number of rainfalls every year, he wanted the boy to be prepared in case an assassin planned on taking advantage of his possible vulnerable, sandless state. The siblings had gotten much stronger during their absence, but they still had exploitable weaknesses.

"Sunagakure shinobi have to excel in everything! Your ninjutsu is excellent but your genjutsu and taijutsu is only good. Of course, everything can always be improved." said the man, his usual stern look plastered to his face. "The next chuunin exams are in half a year and I want to ask the Kazekage if I could sign you three up for it. So you better be ready!"

Really, Baki just wanted to keep the trio as far away from their father as possible without being too obvious about it. He had started insisting on having his students spend as much time away from the Kazekage tower as possible.  
Since they couldn't exactly loiter around the streets of Suna when they weren't in the training grounds or on missions, Baki had started insisting that the siblings stayed in his apartment. He would take that time to debrief missions and teach them battle tactics, using that as an excuse whenever the Kazekage or other jonins would give him a suspicious look.  
Once he started running out of reasons to keep the trio out of their house until late at night, Reina had immediately came to Baki's rescue and offered to have the squad stay over at her house quite often, to dine together or to share stories, much to Yuudai's dismay. Though he might have more-or-less trusted the jinchuuriki to not turn on them, it still made him nervous to have Gaara in such close proximity to his sister and himself. Of course, it was much safer to be with him than to be against him. That was why he had decided to accept the boy as an ally instead of an enemy in the first place.  
Sometimes, Atsushi and Toshio would join them, since they had lost their closest family members in the shipwreck and sometimes just couldn't handle the lonely nights of solo dinners. Those meals were usually silent and awkward, until Atsushi and Reina started up a conversation and everything would build up from there.

Gaara, who had initially been nervous and a little irritated to be forced to eat in front of people he didn't know that well (very few people had actually seen him do anything vaguely human), started to relax and the tension started to seep out of his shoulders. He eventually learned to listen to the conversations around him, learning more about others than he ever had in his twelve years of life. It was strangely fascinating and a little thrilling for him to be allowed to be there. Sure, he didn't participate but he wasn't excluded either.  
And that felt good.

* * *

Every time the Kazekage walked through his house, he found it eerily empty. A few times, he thought that maybe he was crazy, that his children had never came back and that he had only imagined their return. Maybe it had all been another one of his heart-wrenching dreams, his conscience torturing him.  
However, every night when he left his office, he would walk past his children's rooms and find their doors locked shut, indicating that they were indeed there, permanently shutting him out of their world.  
Obviously. The way that he had treated them during their whole lives despicable. He had initially tried to be a Kazekage and a single father at the same time, but he had quickly given up on that impossible dream when Suna's economy continued to crumble, constantly forcing him into long, frustrating meetings with the Wind Lords and the council. And of course, the older Gaara got, the more vicious he had become towards the boy. The way that he had treated him was disgusting and unforgivable. The redhead could never forgive him. He wouldn't forgive him, if he had been in the boy's place.

Though Kazekage doubted his sanity, the man definitely wasn't stupid. His suspicion grew every time Baki insisted on having his students study war formations and such in his own place. That suspicion turned into utter horror when they started spending more time with the dreaded duo. Reina and Yuudai.  
If he had been unsure in the beginning, this left no more place for doubt. Baki, Temari, Kankuro and Gaara...  
They knew. They knew everything about the shipwreck. Every tiny, dirty detail of his horrible plan to murder them. He couldn't confirm it, but he felt that he was probably correct.  
Reina had been right. He should have eliminated them the second they found out that their brother had been killed, to avoid vengeance. They had never been extremely loyal to him, except for eldest, Jiro. That man was a devoted little pawn of the Kazekage's. The other two had always been a problem. However, they were loyal to family and to the village's well-being, and the Kazekage had always believed that to be good enough. Now, he could see his mistake.  
They had betrayed him, revealing his secret to Baki, his children and to other people that he didn't know about. Now he found himself searching his once faithful soldier's eyes with paranoia, searching for people who knew. The people who could take him down.

* * *

"Baki." nodded Reina, slipping onto the chair opposite the man.  
"Reina." acknowledged the jonin.  
Baki called a waiter so that they could order drinks and lunch. Once the man left, they could converse to pass time.  
"I'm still paranoid about this." admitted Baki, looking over his shoulder and glancing at all the faces in the restaurant, trying to see if any of them were glaring at him.

The woman laughed, but then abruptly stopped and gave the man a serious look.  
"You actually have a point. If he catches us, you'll be dead and I will have to suffer countless lectures." she pointed out.  
"We could always..." Baki thought for a second. "... say that this was only a business lunch?"  
Reina sent the man a crooked smirk.  
"You sure have a strange definition of business, Baki_-san_."  
"You know what I mean." huffed Baki with a stern look on his face.

Reina smiled.  
"Oh... He's here."  
Baki jolted in his seat.  
"Who? Yuudai-san?" gasped the jonin, frantically looking around the room.  
The woman in front of him started chuckling.  
"The waiter."

Baki sighed in relief.  
"Oh." he cleared his throat. "Let's eat then."  
"Baki. Relax." smiled Reina. "He's not going to pop out of nowhere and cut your head off. Not in public, anyways."  
"Good point." Baki let a smile slip onto his face as well.

"Do your students know?" she asked, stabbing a piece of meat with her chopstick before placing it in her mouth.  
"Oh. I presume so. I told them that this was about mission reports but Kankuro started doing this... strange move with his eyebrows and sent me this strange smile. Temari kept smirking like a fox and Gaara rolled his eyes when he thought I wasn't looking." chuckled Baki.  
"They are more perceptible than my brother... Oh. That doesn't make sense. Well, I think that Yuudai probably knows. He just doesn't want to face it."

This made the man sitting in front of her tense up again, before he sighed.  
"Can we just... tell Yuudai about our relationship? I mean... you're his older sister, right? He should respect your decision. Maybe he might even be happy for us? He seems like a nice guy, he should be completely fine with his sister dating someone." pushed Baki.  
To his surprise, Reina started laughing. She patted him on the arm.  
"Very cute, Baki."

* * *

"The Kazekage still pretends that he doesn't notice us..." sighed Temari.  
"Who cares?" growled Gaara, anger bubbling up in him whenever someone mentioned the man who tried to kill them.  
"Well... It's just..." Temari gulp and lanced her fingers together, not knowing how to explain what she felt.  
"He might be a jackass but... He's still the man who gave us life. We're his children. What he did was sick and wrong. It hurts to think that we're really that meaningless to him." finished Kankuro for her.

He took the silence as agreement, until Gaara spoke up to his complete shock.  
"Maybe... he was really just trying to protect the village." he said blankly, his eyes scanning across the boring blank wall at the other end of the living room.  
"What? Gaara? No matter why he did it, he couldn't possibly excuse trying to kill his own children!" snapped Temari.  
"He had no good excuse to assassinate you two." agreed Gaara. "But I am a danger. Don't you remember that time on the island, when I lost control and nearly killed you two?"  
"Y-Yes but that was Shukaku! It wasn't your fault! We upset you, and that made you lose control-..." Kankuro was cut off by his brother.  
"Stop. I have accepted that I was responsible for losing control. I will try to make sure that it never happens again, especially not around you two. But, what if, back then, you two couldn't stop me? What would you have done if I were ready to kill one of you? Would you have eliminated me for the other person's safety?"

Both his siblings thought about it, knowing that their brother probably had had this inner dilemma for quite some time.  
"I don't know." answered Temari honestly, staring up at the ceiling of the room. Kankuro shrugged, indicating that he didn't have an answer for now either.  
"Maybe that's what the Kakzekage felt like. He had to chose between the village and I. And he chose the village. Of course he did. Why would he chose me?" whispered Gaara, glaring out the window at nothing. "Why would anyone chose me?"

"Please don't tell me that you're the only one of us who actually forgives that man?" growled Kankuro, his eyes narrowing.  
"No. I can't forgive it. But... I can understand it." replied the redhead. "I... I let the demon consume me."

"Don't be so hard on yourself. What you did back then really was horrible, but it initially wasn't your fault. You became that way because people treated you badly. And now, you've risen out of your pit of darkness to become the guy you are today. You're a pretty amazing person, little brother." grinned Kankuro, pride swelling in both his and Temari's chest they realized the truth of the puppet-nin's words.

Gaara snapped his eyes towards his brother and gave him a long look.

He had never heard someone say such things to him before. He was touched.  
"Thank you." he breathed.

Their moment was interrupted when their father walked into the room. The room was filled with poisonous silence as a million unspoken words were thrown at the man.  
The Kazekage briefly scanned his eyes over the forms of his children then left as quickly as he could, leaving the trio confused but satisfied.

When they were together, they were no longer vulnerable. Now that they were united, nobody could ever bring them down.  
That was how much the island had changed them. That was what they could achieved it they worked together. Nobody could ever take that away from them.  
They were stuck together forever, no matter how annoying, frustrating or damaged they were.  
That's what it means to be family.

* * *

***Sniffles* End.**

**First long multi-chaptered fic completed! Obviously, the ending is quite open because of the fact that there is going to be a sequel... Right now!**  
**I posted the new story under the name And Now We're Stuck Together. It focuses mainly of the Kazekage and Gaara... That's all I'm gonna say. If you're interested, go and read it! If not, a million kisses to you and thanks for reading ANISHWY! It was a long, bumpy ride but it was a fun one!**  
**I could never have done it without all you guys and your support (ahem threats).  
Plus, BakiRei happens. Woohoo, Baki is no longer a forever-alone-single-creep. Yuudai, Reina, Toshio and Atsushi will be in the sequel, though they won't appear as much.  
*Hugs* I hope you enjoyed this story! See you everyone! Thanks to all my reviewers and faves and followers and readers!  
Love, cookies with sand (wut?),  
XOXO ~~~ HimekoUchia (*cries* I'm gonna miss writing this)**


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